The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1919-11-13

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN
HIGH SCHOOLS
Address Before the Secondary
Session of the North Dakota
Education Association by Pres.
A. G. Crane of Minot Normal.

'
The topic assigned me by President
TrOubey is not the one which appears
upon the program. shall speak or
the original assignment.
This is too large a topic for any
one to treat in short discussion. Tho
intensely interestd in vocational edu.
cation for many years and always an
ardent advocate of more definitely use.
full education, yet feel less prepared
to speak dogmatically upon vocational
education in secondary schools. My
army experience has dealt largely
with vocational education. It has
cleared UP some things and left 9TH
ers still in doubt.
The tendency in the past has been to
name the courses vocational and think
that the problem was solved. AS a
matter Of fact our Dakota high schools
have given very little true vocational
education. They are not to be blamed
for this, because the obstacles have
been great, the path new and unchar-
tered. All must work together in the
development of vocation standards,
principles and methods. 1t is an evo-
lutionary period. It is probable that
during the next ten years great strides
will be made towards more real voca-
tional education. BY vocational edu-
cation / mean that which contributes
directly and essentially to the earning
of a livelihood. Much Of our so-called
high school vocational education has
been information about vocations, has
been pleasant and desirable knowledge
or skill, which might later be trans
lated into vocational skills or assist in
acquiring vocational power and skill.
A true vocational education, however,
would equip the man to Immediately
step into job and hold it successfully
without further coaching.
If this test be applied to our Man.
the futility Of any vocational claim for
the average Manual Training. Home
Economics, as commonly taught,
would make slightly better showing.
It is doubtful whether Agriculture, as
commonly taught in high schools,
could successfully make much claim as
real vocational training. It is certain
that high school teacher training
courses could at best claim but tenn
porary transitory value to relieve an
emergency situation. High school
commercial work comes the nearest to
being real vocational as far as stem
ography and typewriting are concern
ed.
The. things which make this voca-
tional training so different are, first,
the lack of competent teachers. The
competent vocational teacher should
be person who has demonstrated by
actual experience his thoro efficiency
as craftsman in his line. He should
combine with this good general edu
cation and teaching ability of high
order. These people are exceedingly
scarce and not procurable at teach
er's salary. In the army service the
entire United States and American ar
mics were canvassed for competent in
structors. Even then it was pitifully
disappointing to see the attempts to
give vocational instruction by men who
could not have held a job in civil in
dustry except as apprentices. Voca-
tions in the United States have very
few thoroly competent men who can
by any means be induced to attempt
teaching.
The second great difficulty in the
high schools is. the lack Of immediate