The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-19

ns,heftcallv brings out in the story OF
~ Lonely Life" comes well within
a.. experience of any teacher who has
! ,ovulcd out the necessary period OF "A
serrrl,Iou or two for the recurrence to
tnkC pace. i
Notc. FOR example. the tidal wave OF
What is called vocational training. There
| car be no need OF argument to prove
, thing 80 selt-cvident as the fact that
~ one Is to have "A vocation one should
! no trained FOR Il. The only possible
question relates to the time when such
traln!rg should begin. Shall 1t be SUI
ne wroScd on an educational foundation
broad aud deep enough TO include GER
tain considerable knowledge, an amount
OF culturc-wc speak the word with
hated breath-to the extent often, or
sometimcs, OF q first college degree. or
shall this training start with the mas
tcry Of the alphabet and hold complete
and absolute sway henCcforth to the eN-
elus.ou OF everything not directly con-
ductye to equipment for the vocation
chosen?
When the present writer was pre-
paring for college 'and as her gradua-
ton was in 1865 we are reckoning from
. q date more than a half century ago)
the master OF her preparatory school
was vigorously opposing with fiery elo-
: oucnce the then popular clamor In that
small New York village for an educa-
I zion strictly and exclusively practical
that Is to say. an education primarily for
q business that should he money making.
Granted there has been a change IN
the matter OF emphasis and the matter
OF numbers, so that the advocates of the
"ncw education to-day may be con-
coded To be more pronounced as well as
more numerous than We're the promul-
gators OF essentially the same doctrine
ffty years ago: but the vaunted theory
Of practical" or "vOcational' training.
90 education for efficiency" seems 20
be far more n recurrence than a new
[ birth Of ideas.
TIE pl0recr private school in the
' teaching Of domestic science and house
hold arts. cooking, sewing. dress cutting,
millinery. &C., was, | believe. Lasell
Seminary. at ~Auburndale, Mass, about
! forty years ago. The Introduction OF
the department-though cooking was
not elective but n reduisit!on upon all
studeuts-was a happy hit, a stroke OF
genius on the part of tho young pr!n-
cipal. Keen TO perceive and alert TO sup
PLY the popular desire. To-day the
school that offers no domestic science
IN It's curriculum Is scarcely to he found.
Schools and teachers and teaching are
measurahly different from what they
VtAfs ANl = AiIlNlNAhl N'AAtF
the past are telling us that the changes
have come less suddenly and are per-
haps less fundamental than we are apt
TO think.
Concerning the great work done In the
schools Of to-day, public and private.
helping toward a knowledge OF the
healthful care OF the body, or the wise
management of affairs. or the use Of time
and talent with economy and efficiency.
ayh0f tho tAuy aghnalptan coil haalth
management, orderliness. We say in sin
certify and hearty sympathy these things
ought We to ave done and not 20 leave
the other undone."
Mud what. pray. is that Other that
ought not to be left undone? / turn 10 an
Interesting little handbook printed In
1911 with noteworthy contributions from
prominent educators. the leading arti-
Gle in which is furnished by our AM
bisador to England. Walter II. Page.
il this timely paper. after a general
admission that -the practical school
has won in its contest with the old fash
toned, book dominated pedagogy" that
"the victory Is sweeping and IL pro-
foundly affecting all grades OF educa-
tior," that men OF the best scholarship
, aIc found who declare that the mental
. discipline supposed to be got from the
Old studies was greatly exaggerated, 81
81 I IA''' fhN " sap II ~
learning Is not dead nor is 1t going 10
de. Many Of the book methods of the
. past were doubtless as far removed from
efficiency as possible, and they can be
improved and are undergoing improve
nSnt all the while in the hands OF the
best teachers. But the impractical
matter OF the old time school-Greek,
latin and the like-will continue e
build up the minds and the taste of cul.
TftaeaI ~ NthTfA thArafArA thfg
practical revolution is in progress, with
a.! It's good results, the swing of tbs
pendulum will be too great. Like al
other revolutions. this will make serious
mistakes born OF too great zeal and Gin
the minds of small mem OF too narrow
he1s OF the whole delicate business Of
training the Young.
For, excellent as the new training
j., the practical things OF life are not
the whole of life by any means. rs
pe'iaIly IL there need during the effer-
res"cnt period of youth for the exercise
az the Imagination, for the implanting
OF deals, even for moods and expert
t".,s Of remoteness from the everyday
NH'II. The emotional part of a man
Or ~ a woman needs indulgence as the
hands need training. and the angle al
which one will regard life IL often the
ang'e at which life is seen during some
pr u the school period. S~ordidness OF
generosity, sympathy or cynictsm-such
qualities as these appear and are fixed
u an early age. The old time school
methods did aim, with whatever success
O. eve the young life a mellow, human
slTpH'Aetlc temper,
'.Nn, private school. therefore, with
fn.. pupils per teacher and with pupil'
{ ' IAN have u longer school experience
.N" average, ave the enviahle op'
..r.ty Ia preserve all that Is good II
NJ matter and method OF education
80 beng the ransmitters OF the ole
Co.. .r, IN this time OF educational up
A.aE.I
~ lave another opportunity. too
q do the best teaching. For, after al
- a. most of the good results ol
tr" g come, NOT from this subject ol
htt TOR from this method or that, bu
i". en-" personal influence of M
r on n" pupil, The spirit OF tn
3 = i- personal
The living teacher-that Is every
t.'f. PRESIDENT James GARFIELD ha'
I|E'u as a famous dictum M to the es
I'.uH's Of university equipment "A
.TE with a boy AT one end and Mari
-np ms at the other" The young, in
'N'."g spirit and the wise master
't'uE ger thcy Come together there Is m
fellowship II does not so mucl
..' what they choose to ak abou
Huat special process the teache
u-. he finds the way to the soul o
& .uru-r.
'.prr be ore thing more lamentabl
t.ut another IN the sad results OF SOM
O. '.. hIghiy ~systematized schooling, w