Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-30
THE VOCATION WE ALL ARE
ENGAGED IN

PEAcTIoN in the vocational training
movement has set in, and the school
authorities are planning to do more
effectively that for which the free public
schools were first established
Whatever else we may be engaged in,
we are all citizens. The failures of de-
mocracy have come because we have not
learned the trade of citizenship. They
will not be corrected by teaching boys
and girls how TO be carpenters and
milliners. printers and dressmakers book.
keepers and stenographers. Such ac-
tivities OF the educational institutions as
are intended primarily to increase the
earning capacities of the coming genera
ton will affect only the commercial side
OF society. OF course, man with a house
and living wage has more interest in
the protection of his property than
man with no stake in society. But the
ernment is only incidental. Sometimes
there is no relation at all. The richest
men are, as a rule, the most indifferent
to political corruption, to waste of the
proceeds Of taxation and to general gov
ernmental inefficiency. They neglect to
register. They go into the country on
election day. And they are Indifferent to
the obligations of citizenship. There
fore the men who believe that public
office is a private snap are allowed to
have their way. Their way is to treat
government as an institution for the
profit Of the governors, which deserves
support only so far as it provides Jobs
for the workers. Carried to its logical
conclusion, this theory makes the school
system useful only so far as it supplies
jobs for teachers.
But we are to have something different
in Philadelphia if present plans carry.
Beginning this year, there is TO be
course in civics in the public schools.
That is, there is to be vocational training
in the trade we are all engaged in. Pub
lie education is a failure unless we be-
come expert in that trade. II was once
thought that it was enough If we taught
the young citizens in the democracy how
to read and write and qualified them to
equip themselves for understanding the
duties of self-government. We have dis.
covered that this is not enough. We must
teach them their civic duties. If we start
early enough we may be able to train up
a generation of citizens which will not
tolerate ineficiency in the City Hall. It
is possible TO create such a sense Of dis
gust with extravagance. such a feeling
of outrage at filthy streets, inadequate
water distribution. excessive street rail-
road fares, exorbitant prices for gas and
electricity that no politician will dare
connive at these things
According to the new plan, the instruc-
ton is to begin in the first grades in the
public schools by systematic training in
obedience, cleanliness. orderliness, cour
tesy, helpfulness and kindness to animals
the fundamental human as well as the
fundamental civic virtues. In the higher
grades the children are TO be taught what
to expect from the policeman, the street
cleaner, the garbage collector, the fire
man and the postman. Then, through de.
scriptions of the institutions and indus
tries Of the city, an attempt is to be made
to plant the seeds of pride in the city
which is expected to bear the fruit of in
telligent demand for better conditions IL
the future.
1t is a worthy attempt. Too mucl
must not be expected of 1t at once, bu
If we are patient we are bound to se
the good results in few years.