Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-01-20
VS.. VOCATION
BY R. g. DYKSTRA

Someone has said that it is not the
work of the public schools to give vo-
cational training; that trades are to-
be learned after the student is through
with the public school and that any
efforts put forth by the teachers to en-
courage the student in the practical
things of life, are futile and wasted,
1t is indeed true that this has been
the theory and practice in many pub
lie schools from the beginning until
of late In considering this question,
may We enquire-what is the real
purpose of our expensive system of
public instruction? The question might
be answered in a broad way as fol
lows: 1t is to the schools that we
look for the equipment of the rising
generation. The child has an inherent
| RIGHT to q common school education at
least, and the safety of the state de-
mands that all our people should re-
ceive a more or less thorough mental
| training in our public schools. We tax
all people to maintain the public school
land we try to compel every parent to
send his children there for term of
years.
The results of this system are far
from satisfactory. Not more than
three per cent of the public school chill
dren 90 to college and less than ten
per cent 60 through high school. 1t
seems then, that ninety per cent of our
public school children must follow
what are sometimes called the common
walks of life. But when they leave
school they cannot earn a living; for
they do not know how to do single
useful thing. They have been edu'
Gated right away from the work they
must follow all their lives. ! mention
that it is the right of the child to DC
taught in the school some of the prae'
teal problems of life, and instructions
lin industrial club work, manual tram
ing domestic science and art will as
sist materially in this big problem.
1t is urged by some that the entire
time in school is needed for the reg
iular instruction. On the contrary, II
has been proved, wherever tried, thai
thoupbtful labor with the hands pro
NOTES the acquisition Of knowledge
from DOCKS. lhS tuNOAiSo NNAAAA
books are put into Immediate practice
Thoughtful work develops the mind
l and the change from the study OF
books to practical work rests the mint
and removes thee feeling of drudgerS
in study from the pupils mind. I'M
hot house, rushing method practiced II
many public schools is certainly inJur
, ious to health, and many students
, break down under it before their schoo
davs are nearly finished. There IS
j. great moral uplift in the conscious
ness of every child who has beel
taught to do some useful thing wen
!, A Visit to the various reformatorle
will reveal the fact that nearly all ID
3. Inmates of those institutions have beel
G for a longer or shorter time pupils a
the public schools; indeed, not rev
2 high school graduates and even colieg
b graduates will be found in those IN
stirutions. a.
o The question at once comes TO Tn
mind. dWhy are these young peopi
here?" The answer will be fouh
: often in this: When those young pee
y ple left the public school or college
They did not know how to do q siI
IS ole useful thing. And worse still,
S their school life they had in some wa
formed the absurd and ruinous opll