The Ozark spectator., 1916-12-27
PUBLIC EDUCATION IN ARK
 ANSAS
No. 7. Vocational Education.
By A. M. Jordan, Assistant Professor
 Of Education, University of


 The democratic spirit which has at last reached education says that there must be equality of opportunity in school work as well as in any other work. What does this mean? It means that all people must have that preparation to live life socially eff ficient. To be socially efficient man must be able first of all to make living; second, he must have prepara- tion 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 a whole, 76 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 crfmi nals are taught vocation along With some other thing of lesser importance that sometimes over S3 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 to eat nor enough to wear. nor a respectable place to live in for all the year. This is directly attributable to lack of training along lines that are neces- sary. Now turning for a minute or tion. 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 civics, something about history, and there you have it all. Civic righteousness demands healthy. moral and inter ested person. Hygiene, community civics. 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, a love for good literature, art and other things.
 But the case for vocational educa- tion does not have to be argued: IL speaks for itself The means of ob- taining these ends,is the trying ques- tion. How Is 1t to be done? Can it be done with the equipment we have. Will 1t ")st more money? Can we get the people interested? Along just what fines will we proceed? Now vocational education is broader than many people would think. It includes professional, education. home making, commercial, industrial and agricul- tural.
 Professional education is well cared 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 of a great majority of the women of our country is home making. yet up to a few years ago there was little if any thing done looking disectly to this work. Of the children that die an amazingly large per cent die before they reach the end of their first year. These deaths are preventab1e in many cases. If almost all women are to be mistresses of thomes sooner or later and if they are to have the care of children they most certainly should have some sort of direct preparation for this work. Most model house wives are very wastefui Mapy of these things could be corrected by means of a good course in Home Eco monies. It seems that if the kitchen is to be made a place where drudgery is not, something of the scientific and artistic side of cooking must be em phasized. Sewing, of course is need cd, for while clothes do not make the man they certainly improve 'him ir many ways. It is said that if yor take dirty '"down-and-out ana dress him in respectable clothes he will ac' quite differently Then~ again in sew ing as in cooking. wheutthe aim ds work of art fdrudgery is to large ,ex tent lost. T'he home is the consumer the ultimate consumer. Whatever eu ters the home is directly concerned with the woman. Is he food pur' which she feeds her baby Is thu milk fall fbf bacteria? Has the wzte, been thoroughly caredl for? These ,nv' some of tDe questions that the morheN is asking. If she is hconoerned abou these things how vifnily is her If, bound upi with the, life, of the commnn ity! again, tfe woman does most o the purchasing for the household Ans how necessary it is that she knov something about textiles, about pur chasing- about supply and demand and ahojIt all ithos9 thfngs which de