Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-01-11
GARY is RIGHT.

The Democrat has not always ap-
proved of the educational policies of
State Superintendent Cary; but we
firmly believe that he is everlastingly
right in sounding a strong note of
warning against the proposition to ex-
tend the powers of the state board of
industrial education. In an official bull
letin Mr. Cary says:
cit is coming to be rather common
for school men to be threatened bodily
or in yelled manner. We are boldly
told that the school men know nothing
about practical education; are not in
sympathy with it, and that if must be
all turned over to people who know
how TO fit boys and girls quickly and
effectively for the Industries. It will
readily be noted that all this is class
education with a vengeance. [ once
heard the president Of a great eastern
university say in Madison that we
must as quickly as possible discover
the bows who are destined for the in
training that will fit them for their flu
ture work, while the more fortunate,
are TO be broadly educated for profess
sional lines of activity, and for general
leadership. A great idea this for dem
ocratic America! We have with US
some of the same ilk and they are
active.
"School men all believe in practical
education but it is not the class kind,
and it is not the rule Of thumb sort
that neg lects the reason why. and seeks
short cat to temporary efficiency at
the expense of the future welfare and
advancement. The real school man is
attorney for the boy and girl, Every
thing of a conservative sort that has
been done so far in practical education
in Wisconsin has been done by school
men; they have made great strides
thus far in the direction of efficient
instruction in many practical lines;
they have just gotten we'll started.
They have doubtless made some mis-
takes and will probably make more.
They are open minded, however, and
are constantly studying their problems
and are beneftting by their mistakes.
'Practical work in connection with
schools of one sort Or another has
grown enormously in the past ten
years. Schools are constantly growing
more worth while The people who
want to get control of practical educa-
ton are but handful; most manufac-
turers do not want to have control OF
education, or have the public establish
school in their shops, for their own
special benefit There are a few, how
ever. who do; at least SO it seems.
"Dualism in the educational field at
this time would have the worst con
ceivable effect on both practical and
general education. Such dualism would,
if effective, degenerateEfrom its present
position and outlook into the rankest
exploitation of boys and girls in the
name of industrial education. 1t is
time both professional and non -profes-
sional minute men in this cause OF
education be in readiness for action,
Let the people of Wisconsin give
heed to Mr. Cary's timely warning
against the men who would exploit the
boys and girls of the state in the name
of industrial education. Our great
public school system must not be al
lowed to degenerate into class educa-
ton. The handful of men to whom Mr.
Cary refers seem to take themselves too
seriously. Their self conceit is samaZ-
ing. No human being is wise enough
to hand pick our youngsters and say
with authority that they are endowed
by nature for this or that profession,
trade or calling. The best that can be
done is to inspire them with desire
fer a good education and give them an
opportunity to find themselves and to
work out their own salvation.
Notwithstanding all the talk to the
contrary, the American public school
is a very practical institution. The
man who has since made the greatest
president we have ever had was few
years ago derided as being only mere
Schoolmaster.'