The Springdale news. [volume] (Springdale, Ark.) 1887-1990, 1916-08-11
PUBLIC EDUCATION IN ARK
ANSAS
No. 7. Vocational Education.

or Education, University of
Arkansas.
The democratic spirit which has at
last reached education says that there
must be equality of opportunity In
school work as we'll as in any other
work. What does this mean? II
means that all people must have that
preparation to live a life socially eff.
f1cient. To be socially efficient a man
must be able first of all to make a
living; second, he must have prepare
ton TO fulfill his civic obligations.
and finally must be able to enjoy his
leisure time. Note that in this philo-
sophy economic efficiency comes first.
And indeed why should it not? A
man who is unable TO make living
cannot be good citizen. Poverty Is
directly responsible for third of the
crime in our land In fact, of the in
mates OF the prisons of the United
States as whole, rs per cent have
no definite occupation. On the other
hand, those of us who have followed
the great reformatories of our land
know that when these young crirni.
nails are taught vocation along with
some other thing of lesser Importance
that sometimes over So per cent go
out into the world and make good
citizens. Nor is that all. There are
ten million people in the United
States who have not enough 10 eat.
nor enough to wear. nor a respectable
place to live in for all the year This
is directly attributable 70 a lack OF
training along lines that are neces.
sary. Now turning for minute OF
two to the second phase of the ques-
ton, that Of good citizenship, We find
that there is little done in the school
looking directly to the meeting of this
demand. A little text book civies
something about history, and there
you have it all. Civic righteousness
demands a healthy, moral and inter
ested person. Hygiene, community
eiyies, history that shows the present
on the background of the past, cur.
rent events; these are some of the
things demanded. There is scarcely
a turn made looking directly TO the
broader moral obligations of the com.
ing citizen. In the enjoyment of leis.
ure time there is needed good music,
play, love for good literature, art
and other things.
But the case for vocational educa.
ton does not have to be argued; It
speaks for itself The means of OBJ.
| tanning these ends is the trying ques.
| ton. How is it to be done? Can It
be done with the equipment We have.
| Will it cost more money? Can We
/ get the people interested? Along
| just what lines will We proceed? Now.
vocational education is broader than
many people would think. 1t includes
| professional education, home making,
commercial, industrial and agricul.
| tural.
Professional education is we'll caren
| for in our country. The universities
throughout the land prepare persons
for law, the ministry, medicine. teach
ing or for whatever else one needs
It is said that America has as good
universities as has any country.
The most important occupation oil
a great majority Of the women of our
| country is home making, yet up to a
! few years ago there was little II any
thing done looking directly TO this
j work OF the children that die an
amazingly large per cent die before
they reach the end Of their first year
These deaths are preventable in many
cases. II almost all women are to be
mstresses of homes sooner or later
and if they are TO have the care oil
children they most certainly should
have some sort of direct preparation
for this work. Most model house
wives" are very wastefuL Many Of
these things could be corrected by
| means of a good course in Home Eco
nomics It seems that if the kitchen
is TO be made place where drudgerN
is not, something Of the scientific anc
artistic side of cooking must be EN-
phasized Sewing, of course, is need
ed. for while clothes do not make the
man they certainly improve him ii
many ways. 1t is said that If you
take a dirty "down-and-out' and dress
him in respectable clothes he will ac
quite differently. Then again in sew
ing asA in cooking, when the aim is
work Of art drudgery Is to a large ex
tent lost The home is the consumer
the ultimate consumer. Whatever en-
ters the home is directly concerned
with the woman. Is the food pur,
which she feeds her baby? Is III,
milk full of bacteria? Has the waite
been thoroughly cared for? These ar,
some of the questions that the mothe
IS asking II she is concerned abou
these things how vitally is her If
bound up with the life of the commun
ity! again, the woman does most o
the purchasing for the household An,
how necessary it is that she know
something about textiles, about pun