The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1919-06-26
EDUCATIONAL.
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION


new impetus all over the country as u
result of the war. The writer of this
article has for years been an advocate
of instruction of the kind or kinds that
is receiving this new impetus. The
national government is aiding as far as
possible this new movement. II is a
fact that has often been remarked upon
that education has a tendency toward
a pcndulum-lilSe movement, back and
forth, rather than a tendency toward
progress in straight line. This pen
dulum movement is due to the fact
that things progress in a certain direc-
ton until they are oyerdone and then
we have the backward swing. While
vocational and industrial education in
proper proportions is good, an excess
is not good. 1t would seem highly
probable in the nature of the case that
the schools the country over, will in
the next few years go to extremes in
vocational education and thus necessi-
tate backward swing of the pendu-
um.
II should not be forgotten that man
ufaclurers when consulted as to what
they want in the way of qualities and
qualifications in the young people that
are entering the industries, commonly
reply that they want most of ali GER
tain moral qualities such as dependa-
hility, truthfulness, close attention to
business, and the like, together with
accuracy, adjustability, general intelli-
covered in wartime industries that men
without manual training, such as the
schools can give, succeeded in learning
quickly any simple process that they
were called upon to learn. In fact 1t
was Otter stated that those who had
not had the training of the schools
learned single operations more quickly
than did those who had had such gen
cral training. Of course this does not
apply. at least it does not apply with
the same force, to skilled trades, where
the individual is called upon 10 per-
form IA variety of complex operations.
This department has for years
fought the battle to secure recognition
in colleges and universities for those
who took in high school course not
to exceed four units of what we may
term vocational work out of a total of
sixteen. The colleges and universities
have come to the point of accepting
such graduates, Now comes the re-
quest from some quarters for permis-
sion to put into high school courses
double the amount of vocational work;
in other words, half the entire course.
Those who make such request state
ihat it is to be distinctly understood by
parents and by pupils that such
course is to be regarded as strictly yO-
and not as leading to college
or any other higher institution of
learning, unless it he the strictly tech
nical school.
There is no question in the mind of
the writer that there Is a place for such
courses in our larger high schools. The
schools in the past have too largely
been pro-profcssional schools. This ig-
n0rcs to an extent, the rights and the
needs of that ~ to 90 per cent who do
not go into managerial or professional
work. This over emphasis on the pro
fcssional is manifestly unjust and
needs to be rcmedied. On the other
hand, the man or woman who is to go
into the ndstries stands in need of in
struclion in literature, history, gcOgra-
ply and many other things that are
necessary to any sort Of complete liy-
ing, regardless of occupation.
In considering what is vocational
and what is not il seems desirable to
be liberal in ones Interpretation. Are
law and craftsmanship yoca-
tonal subjects or are they subjects Of
general interest? 1t would seem that
The answer 10 This question is TO he de-
lcrmined by the nature of the inslruc-
ton rather than by the name Of the
course. Either of these courses in the
hands of thoroughly capable teacher
could be made valuable and fascinat-
ing for students who are not preparing
10 use them in their daily occupation.
for such courses as we have
here been discussing a 6fty-ffty propo-
silion of vocational and Of general sub
iecls would he thoroughly defensiblc.
c. Z. CARY