The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-06-06
STUDENT SOLDIERS
During the Winter Our Boys in Eu-
rope Studied Under
Difficulties

Correspondence of the As
sociated Press.)-Scores of thousands
of American soldiers eagerly have
grasped the opportunity to attend the
schools which the army now Is provld-
ing for all the men of the American
Expeditionary Force, under the direc-
ton of the Educational Corps.
The post schools which are primary
grades of this school system are used
wherever they can find roof to shell
ter them. Floundering through the
mud of some little hamlet where Am
erican soldiers are stationed, one Is
likely to stumble upon such school
in full operation. An army chaplain
recently chanced upon such a school
the pupils of which were standing OH
benches because the floor was under
six inches of water and in a room
dimly lighted by candles stuck in bot
ties. The sergeant-teacher was using
piece of tarred paper as a black
board. 1t was IL o'clock at night and
fourteen men whose military duties
prevented them from attending in
regular hours composed the extra
class.
This little scene is symbolic of the
spirit with which the American soldier
has taken advantage of the educa-
tIonal training offered by the army
school system.
Men in some cases are working
eight, ten and twelve hours a day at
military duties and then studying at
night in the post schools. tired in body
but doggedly determined. In some
cases they have voluntarily worked at
night so as to be allowed to attend a
1 lecture or school session in the day
time. Illiterate men who have been
taught to read and write often ask
permission to take their dog-eared
primers home with them when their
divisions start for America. Thou
sands of such men have been started
on the road to education in the past
few months. But it must not be mis-
takably assumed that all the soldier
boys are coming back "with a higher
education" The big idea of the Edu-
cational Corps is to give man a start
and enable him to ''find himself" SO
to speak. Many a soldier has been q
round peg in square hole back home
The army is helping these men to gel
started on the right groove.
! Practically is the key word of al
the educational courses. The soldie,
is not going to school merely for tn,
fun of it." He wants results that
will help him with his job back hom.
and he is getting them. Vocational
4 training is an important and success
full feature of the post school anc
there are few trades that are not
taught in some of them. In the aca
demlc course, history, English anc
mathematics hold the major places. i
there is sufficient demand for tn,
; teaching of a given subject it is plac
ed on the curriculum.
|. Agricultural courses are provided
In many of the schools and find man,
pupils. Fifty per cent of the men il
the army are from rural districts ant
many of them intend to return Il
, their farms. Thousands of city mel
who have had their first days of out
{ door life since they joined the arm,
declare they will never return to .th,
office stool. They like the independ
{ ence of the farmer and hope to ge
{ into agricultural work when they re
, turn.
? The practical, phases of farmin,
are being taught to the men.
: Teaching of citizenship is an in
: portant course. Under this hea,
comes labor problems and subject
a vital to the national welfare.