Denver labor bulletin., 1918-02-16
EDUCATIONAL PRINCIPLES DECLARED
BYAF. OIL. AT BUFFALO CONVENTION
Educated Manhood Womanhood Is Nations Asset
Peace and War; American School System Administered
Automatically and Teachers Negligible Quantity in
Carrying Out Policies

in the determination and carrying out
of policies. Self-governing school and
district councils of teachers should be
established for the purpose of utiliz-
ing the experience and initiative of the
teaching body in the conduct of the
schools and the recommendations of
such councils should be made matter
of official record. When consideration
is given the effective part played by
the Prussian school system in the de-
velopment of the habit of instructive,
unthinking obedience on the part of
the masses of the people, the vital i'm
portance to American institutions of
breaking away from Prussian methods
in our school system is driven home.
7. Your committee believes that
the most effective guarantee of de-
mocracy in our schools is the affilia-
ton of the country with the great
democratic force of organized labor.
This committee joins with the com
mittee on organization in urging that
the American Federation of Labor and
all affiliated bodies give every support
to the American Federation of Teach
ers in the work of organizing the
teachers.
8. Finally the committee asks that
the executive council be instructed to
lated bodied with the request that edu-
cational committees be created.
Industrial Education.
The Buffalo convention having the
subject of industrial education and vo-
cational training under consideration,
urged that in view of the enactment
of the Smith Hughes bill as an educa-
tional measure of outstanding impor-
tance, affiliated bodies are urged to see
that their respective states qualify for
participation in the availability of
funds for the above purposes. 1t is
urged that safeguards should be pro-
vided to adequately guarantee that the
federal funds shall benefit genuinely
democratic education and not be di-
verted to pervert industrial education
to the purposes of exploitation. The
convention declared the chief safe
guard to be equal representation of
organized labor and employers on all
boards, state and local, which control
| the expenditures of such funds.
We urge increased facilities in pub
lie normal schools for men and women
in the trades who desire to prepare
themselves for teaching industrial and
vocational subjects. The convention
made the following declaration:
Vocational and pre-vocational train
ing whenever given shall be for edu-
cational purposes only, and under no
circumstances shall it be commercial
lied thru the manufacture of products
for sale.
We insist that in all courses of
study and particularly in industrial
and vocational courses, the privileges
and obligations of intelligent citizen
ship must be taught more vigorously
and effectively than has been done in
the traditional civics.
! And we further insist that at least
in all vocational and industrial courses,
an unemasculated industrial history
must be taught, which will include an
accurate account of the organization
of the workers, and of the results
thereof, and will also include sum-
mary of all legislation, both state and
federal, affecting the industries
taught.