The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-09-19

prescribes a proper amount of suit
able activity to be furnished by the
school. The medical officer thus pre-
scribes dose of school, in proper am
cunts and of suitable kind. The Re-
construction Aide then visits the pa
tient and tries to find his major in
terests. She may get him reading
matter from the hospital library. II
interested, she may provide pencil and
paper and teach him writing, account
ing or sketching. If ne is interested
in mechanics, he is then afforded op--
portunity to make simple free-hand
machine sketches. He may be pro-
vided with a typewriter which swings
on a table over his bed. He may
start to learn telegraphy. In a ma
jority of cases, however, he will be
occupied while still in bed with wood
carving sewing, knitting, or any SIM
Pile occupation which relieves mono
tonoy After he is able to get around
the hospital ward, work benches and
tools are provided for elementary op-
erations in simple occupations.
He is next visited by trained psy-
vice, who interviews our soldiers and
finds out about his previous education,
social history, vocation, learns from
the medical authorities his disability,
the probable length of time he will re-
main in the hospital and his probable
condition upon recovery. With these
facts in mind, the Educational Direc-
tor makes with him a plan Of study
and occupation, looking forward, first,
to his speedy recovery and next to
the future army appointment or to hls
vocation in civil life. Thus the edu-
cational department has asked and
answered four important questions
First, who is John Doe, physically,
socially, educationally, vocationally !!
Second how much time will John Doe
have to devote to course OF study
in the Educational Service? Third,
what is his probable future army en-
ployment or civil vocation? Fourth,
in what way can the Educational Ser
vice be of most help to him? This
last becomes an individual school cur
riculum designed to fit the prepara-
tion, condition, time and probable tu-
ture of John Doe.
In planning with a soldier, the pos.
sibility of other future agencies Oh
education are considered. If he re-
mains in the army, the War Commit
tee on Education and Special Training
will give him opportunity for further
training for army employment. II
he is to re-enter civil life, the Federal
Board for Vocational Education Will
provide him, at the governments ex-
pense, an opportunity for the best V0, 9,
cational education in the land. 1t Will
continue his pay and the allotments to
his dependents while he is securing
such education. All educational work
of the Surgeon Generals office IS
planned to cooperate with all possible
agencies for the best good OF the SOL
dier.
It is impossible to give exact f1g-
ures of the work now being done py
the Surgeon Generals office, so rap
idly is the work increasing and so con-
slant is the flow Of men into and OUT
of the hospital, that yesterdays hg-
ures are not those of today. A few
weeks ago this work was already or,
ganized in sixteen of the United
States general hospitals in this coun-
try. There are thousands OF men
studying in these schools. We fear
that before the war is over that nun
dreds of thousands of men will pass
thru our schools. If the schools can
better the condition of these men, they
will have contributed much to WIN
ming the war, to solving the 1uture