The Harrison times., 1915-08-28
The Harrison Times
- R. NEWMAN. PROP.
UTILITY VERSUS CULTURE.


'Our system Of education complained Herbert Quick editor
of Farm and Fresde at bankerfamer conference Chicago
survival of the times when mere knowledge was test of cu
tme The university operated the interest of the graduate
school, the high school that every pupil will go to the
ery college, the primary and secondary schools based
the theory that all pupils will through the grades above and fin
isi with the equipment OF a college professor.
Ths not only absurd it crminay absurd We know that
only small percentage of youths will through the high
school We know that much smaller percentage will the
inside Of college"
Mr. Qucks auditors agreeda most persons will agreethat
he right There tendency nowadays to make education
practical and ervceabe for the ordinary purposes of e but
hasn't gone very far Nearly all the city public schools still
e children to enter the high school, and the high schools are
training them to enter the colleges and the colleges training
them to enter the graduate without giving much thought
to what it's all about the real purpose of education scheme Of
life And STILL has been the from time mmemora most chill
drn to to school, and glad when their time comes to
drop out.
There one glorious exception Gary Schools and those
other cities that have been modelled after them since the remarkable
of William Writ the Gary superintendent attracted national
attention In Gary there difficulty keeping children school,
They attend voluntarily and gladly and pursue their studies
with genuine zes The that apparently their work
moved from the old and dried routine taken out of the realm of
theory and given practical application real chdens
trest and the life they know and curious know about
Another striking exception found in Wright county, Iowa.
few county superintendent of rural schools named Ben
began suspect that something He asked the boys
and girls what they expected to do their life farming
something ese Eghe of the boys and nearly all the
girls answered that whatever they might work wouldn't be
farming That mighty matter 1t meant that the rural
schools there almost everywhere else the United States
of harmony with their environment They getting
the children and preparing them live their normal M doing
ter work and finding enjoyment than their parents had
found Twoyears nearly all the boys declared
that they meant to stay on the farms all their lives 1t was start
ling reversal and wholesome for the agriculture of the
United States
What had happened in the meantime? Mr. Benson had simply
begun teaching agriculture and domestic economy and relating
arithmetic grammar and other theoretical studies these practical
directly and interestingly that they all swallowed
eagerly The children knew what about they knew what
schools for their minds under the influence of the educa
cation opened naturally and apprecaey to the advantages of
their environment
Miss Jessie Field has done much the thing Page county,
Iowa. She has 'ruraized the rural schools"
But in spite of the Gary Innovations long way to the
cyng of the city schools The most promising development
along that line in the rapid growth and surprising popularity
of technical high schools. ar
Thousands of boys and girls who weary of their lessons
under the old system and wanted drop them for good have taken
up their technical studies with enthusiasm because they
with life they know it. 1t adapted to their surroundings 1t
fits them living and the time gives them broader
outlook the world And from the standpoint the community
that foos the bill it is admirable for tends to make
dusous intelligent and efficient and instead of
scholars snobs Useful citizenship replaces the centuries old
ideal of selfish personal culture