The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1916-01-08
SUGGESTS CHANGE
INSCH0OL SYSTEM
6. N. Thomas Shows Need Of
Vocational Training.
BACKS OPINION WITH FACTS.

Taking the Economic Condition Among
Our People In Philadelphia as an
Example, Professor Thomas Makes
Strong Plea For the Kind Of Educa-
tion Which Supplies Individual Needs.
Charles M. Thomas, LII. B., In an
able article which appeared in recent
Issue Of the Philadelphia Ledger dis
cusses at length the need of vocational
training for colored people. Professor
Thomas article in part reads thus:
"The time has come when the color
ed citizens of Philadelphia and every
citizen should talk, discuss, investi-
gate, agitate and enthusiastically sup
port all forms of education which
seek to improve Industrial efficiency.
Having passed the period of exploita-
ton of extensive natural resources.
this country, and especially in its ur-
ban centers, is facing an era Of con.
servation and higher efficiency through
elimination of waste and increased
skill in its operatives preparatory to
securing the perpetuity of the republic
through unborn generations. ...... .-
An examination Of the occupation
statistics for the last census of the city
Of Philadelphia shows 510,S7l males
and 200.208 females engaged I'm the
fundSD,snfal aotspltiass M. .aceyiardtnres
trade, transportation, domestic and per
sonal service and clerical work. Oi
these persons about 50 In every 1,O0l
are colored males. and 100 In every
| 1000 are colored females. How are
these people employed and in what
ways can public education aid then
and consequently the community II
which they live? For. unlike many OF
the foreign born elements of the city
the colored people spend their earnings
where they make them.
Suffice it to say that these people
have physical wants to be satisfied by
foods, houses, woods, metals. textiles
and clays and drugs, such as all men
have, and they have spiritual aspira
tions to be satisfied by culture from
social contact, travel, amusements, lit
erature, music and art, but they have
aimed to satisfy the more pressing
! wants and aspirations by the methods
at hand, by imitation and, to large
extent, by accepting any and every op
portunity offered by those to whom
they could be of any service.
IA few, through keener insight, better
guidance or more friendly contact and
the equality Of opportunity, have blaz-
ed ways for their peculiar capacities
to supply the wants and aspirations OF
those more able to secure what theil
| capital would command. In fact, Phil
| adelphia has been renowned among
colored people for the number and fair
ness Of its opportunities to secure di
versified employment. and there are
not a few families among its colored
population who are beyond immediate
want, If not able to aid others both BY
charity and employment, Using the
/ method of trial and error, many have
sought to increase their capacity tl
satisfy their greater wants by follow
ing the traditional curriculum of the
free school system, only to find II
many instances that such procedure
made them aware Of even larger wants
and higher aspirations without pro
portionately increasing their power tt
satisfy them. e..
+ what is needed today Is such q
method of educating each and every
child In this and each other American
community 80 that he may not only
know how to secure permanent anC
4 positive good in this life, but that he
may know what constitutes such per
manent and positive good In an eco
nomic age such as this now is and bids
fair to remain. Education today must
aim to inculcate character as just anC
equitable relations to ones fellows II
!, all activities, to give training In the
skillful and economic production OF
useful things and In rendering efii
cient service by maximum output with
minimum expenditure Of time and en-
ergy and to induce loyalty to the state
and activity for its betterment. Suct
an aim can be realized at cost not
much greater than that now borne fol
training largely literary and clerical
a training which neglects to large
extent the necessity for motor ACTIVITY
in the formation of the very ideas th'
schools claim to establish.
"Ip the vocational schools the vari
ous activities may be subdivided. and
the special fitness Of studenn may b