The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-05-18
VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS
FIT INDIANS FOR LIFE
Industrial Training Course. Recently
Adopted. Proves Notably
Successful.

Washington. d. c., May 17.--Those
who have followed the progress OF the
improved course of study recently
adopted by the department OF the in
terror for use in Indian schools ex-
press great satisfaction at the success
the plan has had thus far.
Under this plan the Indians school
ing covers Il period Of ten years, and
direct connection exists between his
school work and his subsequent life
work. Tho course OF study was out
lined late in 1915 by, a committee OF
eight experts, who met in Washing
ton and considered the latest practi-
cal suggestions advanced by American
educators.
(, AS "a result, Indian schools are now
models of practical utility They lay
a real foundation for future work in
agriculture home economics, trade.
and industry. combining vocation
courses with regular public school
grade study.
Lessons tn health begin very early.
Second grade pupils are given each
day one hours instruction In santa
ton. gardening, and sewing. In the
third grade this hour Is increased TO
M IibuI anu II man. anu fGPtlI " u n,
cooking. and housekeeping are added.
All pupils OF ten or over who are
st!lI IN the lower grades are given
the work OF this first industrial
course. General exercises are con-
Quoted in Alrrent events, elementary
civics. and the usual primary studies.
At the fourth grade the primary
division ends and the prevocationa.
begins, Three hours daily are now
devoted to Industrial work. thirty
minutes OF It applied to instruction,
the rest 10 production. This average
IS maintained throughout the fifth and
sixth grades and affords general
preparation for the courses offered in
the vocational division.
When the pupil reaches the VEGA
tlonal division. he has probably de-
cided upon his future occupation. and
his work begins to assume more
definite direction. He is taught indus
trial geography and agricultural
botany and vocational arithmetic.
! Each day he is given four hours of
straight Industrial work Each week
he is given personal instruction for
! one and one-half hours: each week he
1 devotes two hours to drafting and
/ twenty and one-half hours to practi-
cal application OF the principles he
has learned
/ with the second year. farm and
I household accounting is added to his
vocational arithmetic: soil and soil
fertility appear in his list Of studies,
1 In tho next year farm and house
! hold physics alternate with chemistry,
while the fourth and last presents
! courses in rural economics. field crops
and plant diseases. IT has been said
that the first group OF three years is
| the beginning stage OF the INDIAN
education. the second period is the
| finding" stage and the last four
years constitute the fitting stage.
AZ is stated In the last report is-
sued by Secretary Lane, THE course
has been planned with the vocational
aim very clearly and positively dom
inant with special emphasis on agri-
culture and homemaking The chT'-
acter and amount of academic work
has been determined by It's relative
value end Importance as a means OF
solution of the problems OF The
farmer, mechanic, and housewife. AL
effort is directed toward training In
dian boys and girls for efficient am
useful lives under the condition.
which they must meet after leaving
school"