Imperial Valley press., 1919-06-04
1. {. T. SOL DIERS
EAGER STUDENTS
tby As.O ilseu pr-.e)

d.. Is5D I.t.t 4 ''-.-s
"a. +, MAJ ) (By mauj-.5coso OF
thousands CT American soidlcl5 c2Eet-.
y lave 2lasE1a T. . cr@Cl loau.tY to
a.t.la JHJ schools when the army IS
la,N ,a,EiNn% Tor ~ the men oi .he
-NuuHgJn rNpcGLicuary Furcc, uuG.i
III. eaLI1u or t.c Educational Corps.
ta-U schools, which dta primary
ldus ol tFls scteol system, aye used
N.n'laEcI they can ind q roof to
shelter them. fi0unduimg Though
the mud oi One little h2mict Wncra
Amcl .t&A soldiers ore stIt.oaed one
IS u&cly 10 stumble ulIn uch Il
ecnool III iull operation. aH 3rmy
chaplain recently CHANGED Upon such
q school the pupils OF when we're
standing ON hoHcHca h2c4u.t thu hoo.
was under six inches oi Watcr and 10
= room dim!v lighted by candles
.Lucb III L.ttitt. ! he #trgcaHt-taa III
er was using i piece of tartad uar..r
as a blackboard. 1t was II o'clucl.
ri night ard fourteen Ue1 whose ui-
taiy dutie. prevented them t.hm at
tending m regular hours composed The
extra class.
1nls little scene is symbolic Of the
spirit with WE5eh the American sol
diCis have taken advantage tf the
-iuc@tlCna! training offered them by
the amy sen09l system.
Men iii 5cnle casCs are working
eight, ten and 1welve hours day ut
military duties and then studvin~ at
night in thl post schools. tired n Lcdy
bat docgejjy determined. Ia some
cases tEey have voluntarily worked ut
night So as ~ be allowed TO attend
Q lecture or school session in the day
time. Iliter3te men who have been
taught to read and write often ask
permission 10 take their dog-eared
primers home with them when their
divisions start for America. Thou-
sands oI such m"l have bccu started
or the t3ad L. education in the past
few noDths. Gut it must not hc mis-
taECn'y assumed that all the soldier
boys are coming Uael 'rth a HIGHER
ciucation.' The hj@ idea Of the Edu-
c9lloual 'oips Us lo give & man =
start and enable him to find him
eof. so TO speak, Many soldier
has been a round peg in Square hcic
'acl home. The army is helping
these men to get started on the right
groove.
FIacticality is the key word Of all
jhc cducatlOaHl- cuHr-cS. The soldier
is not going to school merely for the
iun of IT. He wants results that
will help him With his Job back home
and he is getting them, Vocational
training is am lmportant and success
full feature Of the post school and
tho'" are few trades that are net
taught i'm some of them In the aca-
d,oi" course history, English and
nnthcmaiIcS held the major places, IF
ther" is sufficient demand for the
teaching Of a given subject it is
paced on tie culricLlum.
Agricultural courses are provided
m many Of the schools and find many
pupils, iIftv Fer cent of the men in
the army arc f'ow rural districts aud
many of Jcm intend 20 return 10
,hcir farms Thousaud5 of city mcu
who have had their flr~o davS of oul
door life since they joined The army
dcclule they will never return to the
office stool. They like the rdepcn-
denCc Of the farmer and hone to GO
INTO agricultural work vixen they re
turn.
The practical phases Of farming are
being Taught 30 the Mon.
Teaching Of citizenship is an inn
Potjant course Under thiS mead comics
tabor problems and subjects vital to
the national welfare,