The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-02-16

be got at home, as it used to be. it
must be got elsewhere. If it is not
obtained while the youth are getting
their school education, it must be after
ward. Why is it that so many of YOU
Older men remark the difference he
tween the youth of IS now and when
you were boy? 1t is no idle remark
1T IS a fact, that the 16-vear-old bow
was then more mature, in that he nm
derstood, how to do MANY things which
he cannot do now. 1t is the practical
work in life that makes material i'm
proVement or progress possible At
10 one may know many things, but
without practical training he can
do few things. Under the present edu-
eatlonal system or curriculum. the see
ondary courses at school are filed
with studies, better fitted for ma
ture minds, which could be advan-
tageously postponed, by all not pre-
pairing for college. They are for the
most part beyond the understanding
OF the youthful mind, and unless the bow
IS to follow in higher educational or
professional lines, they can be learned
so far as desired after the mind is de-
Veioped. Nearly all who graduate from
the secondary schools have to hew
their way through life. WHY not pre-
pare them for work in life as is done
for work in college? Under the nre-
sent condition, the practical training
they have to obtain after they leave
school. That is why so MANY of older
men, who could do things at Is. poke
fun at school education when they see
a boy, big, stalwart, who can play foot
ball and baseball, but do little else. He
can play football and baseball and
can do other work, because he works
at football or baseball
10 bring these changes about, the
commission on education advised that
during the last few wears of the
school period, some practical education
be given in the use of the hands. tools,
and brains working together. Teach
them how to do things, SO that when
then school term is finished they may
be handy IN the house, on the farm or
IN the shop. 4 man who is handy and
can do things, if he has to work for
wages, can get better wages aad get
work when others cannot If he is on n
farm he can do things himself and not
have to hire others. In other words. he
IS self dependent. and a man or woman
who is self-dependent is the most in
dependent man or woman IN the world.
'Of late this kind Of education has
run 10 1ads OF all KINDS, and Is liable
to be made useless. 1T should be kept
as near the actual doing of actual
things of home and of home sur
roundings, and on lines of actual work
in future.
If you insist that Your permanent
board of education be hard-headed
practical men (and are left in Office long
enough to know what is to be done) and
your superintendent of education is of
the same kind, and keep your school
system out of politics, you viii in time
get something good.
1--WE have laid too much stress on
this matter of higher education. All
the education possible is necessary and
good thing to have, but higher edu-
cation means years of study and close
application, the devotion of life. To
the large majority who must Get dow9
to practical working life higher educa-
ton is impossible and of no advantage.
TOR they cannot make use of it. What
the average man needs is a general and
broad education. If they have a good
understanding and a good. thorough
knowledge of the elementary fundamen
tai studies, they can acquire all that is
needed by reading and such study as