The sun., 1916-09-16
PROGRESS AND EVOLUTION
OF BUSINESS EDUCATION
Economics, Law, Accounting, Upon Which Business
Success Rests, Must Be Coordinated-Study
of These Subjects Brings Under
standing of Business.
By HOMER 8. PACE. c. p. A.,
Pace Institute.

w ing question. you will say, to
ask Of intelligent men and
women in the leading business COM
munity Of a leading business nation.
And still business men and educators
have found themselves more or less at
a loss when confronted with the prob
lem OF defining and analysing business
| sufficiently we'll to teach the subject
In schools.
We have the desire to teach busi-
ness. We wish TO abandon, so far as
practicable. the apprenticeship method.
We seek to substitute principles for the
cut and dry procedures that are based
on isolated and unrelated experiences.
The many public commercial high
schools. private commercial schools
and university schools of commerce
which are doing a useful work In all
parts OF our country. evidence . seri-
GUS intention to bring training for
business under academic control.
There can be ne doubt as to u intent
it Is the product OF our effort that
! gives us concern.
We have first to consider the product
Of the schools that teach so-called COM
mercial subjects--the private business
schools and the high schools OF COM
merce. The product of these schools.
you will agree. Is largely bookkeepers
and stenographers. Young men and
women are graduated who have q fair
understanding of the theory Of double
entry and a knowledge Of shorthand
and typewriting sufficient to enable
them to render assistance in the mat
tar ~ hpoipnao rnr~eoannndpnrQ Ara
these young men and women trained
in the fundamentals Of modern organ
lied business? Have they . suitable
foundation for q successful commercial
career?
The commercial schools. public and
private. unquestionably render q valu-
able vocational service. The graduates
are trained to write q legible hand. to
calculate rapidly and accurately and to
assist in the clerical processes Of BUSH
ness. Their training Is the opening
wedge to commercial life and We should
not underestimate the value to the
commercial world Of their educational
service. Nevertheless the writing of
shorthand and the operation Of q type
writer Is not business; the keeping Of
books Is not the organization or o
duct Of a business enterprise. and the
fling OF letters Is but q small incident
in the work Of production and distri-
button. These occupations are to be
compared with the work Of driving q
truck or Of storing goods or Of operat-
ing a lathe-duties which may be per-
formed by persons with a special voca-
tional training who have no conception
whatever Of the objects and processes
Of organized commercial endeavor. We
are forced to the conclusion. therefore.
that such training merely affords a
vocation In business and that an
understanding Of business itself. II It
IL ever acquired. must come u Of old
from observation and experience.
The courses of study Of professional
or university grade. on the contrary,
seek to leach the fundamentals OF bust
meas itself. We often hnd, II Is true.
the inclusion In the curricula OF schools
of commerce of such specific and voca-
tional subjects as shorthand. typewrit-
ing and bookkeeping; but emphasis Is
nearly always placed on the funda-
: mental processes Of commercial en-
|, deavor. The specific process Is often
taught. but 1t Is used to Illustrate a
t fundamental Of organization or trade:
: for example. goods may he disposed Of
by direct sale, or they may be sent out
c on q consignment basis, or the sale may
be negotiated by a broker without the
custody OF the goods. These funda-
. mental bases OF commercial trading
can be taught. and each method can be
= illustrated by specific examples in such
a way az to give both general and spe-
cific training. The student who works
= out all OF the bookkeeping entries to a
:. consignment transaction Is more likely
to remember the general principle than
n the student who Is not given training
in such a specific procedure.
We are not 70 conclude, however
that all Of the work thus attempted
has been fully productive. Many mis-
takes during the experimental period
. are to be expected In the courses and
y ir the methods of teaching. Very early
4, was discovered that courses OF study
. made up of unrelated special lectures
by business men were rarely product
i've, and that professional teaching was
required to secure the desired results
In many cases there has been a lack OF
, coordination Of the various subject,
!. taught, and the student has naturally
not Dpen HDle 10 evolve III HlS o"I
j. mind a science that was but half way
formulated in the minds OF his in
a structors. Nevertheless. the eosrse'
e and the methods OF instruction have
almost without exception been i'm
& proving, and it is to-day possible Il
o obtain a theoretical preparation FOL
a business that Is az new and as i'm
- portant In the commercial world as tn
aeroplane and the submarine are in thu
n military world.
In fact, we have 80 far analysed tn
world OF business that We are able t
q state the subjects in which a mar
Il must be educated In order to Obtain
a scientific understanding Of thu
objects and the processes of moderr
business. For educational purpose
at least we are able to answer on
L. question and to state the essential ele
d. ments Of the subject that has 70
he so many ages required that its devotee
shall, az a prerequisite to success
y, graduate from the costly school of ex
perience.
ly First OF all business in Its genera
aspects. as we'll AS in respect to tn
individual enterprise. is dependen
upon the use of capital. Capital take
two distinct forms-that which sup
I'd plies the permanent facilities an
" equipment. M that which Is turne
AZ over in the course Of current opera