Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1920-06-24
Missouri Valley Times.
3. c. LAMlAls. Prsssisssr.
sAM'L 1oLhEs. City Batsse.
DALEY TIMES
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

Of the general farming p0polatlon
towards the agricultural colleges and
their work, was anything but friend
". The young man who had an am
bition to learn the scientific princi-
pals Of farming was laughed at and
told that he would be ruined if he
went away to college. They said
that book farming had no place in
practical agriculture, and that col
lege trained man was Of little use
outside the town or city.
At the present time the attitude
towards agricultural education has
been somewhat modified, and most
people will admit that ewen book
farming has played no little part in
improving our rural conditions. 1t
is true that it is much easier to farm
On piece Of paper than it is on old
mother earth and that flood and
drouth, hail and insects never affect
our book farms, while there is hardly
a year goes by without our farms
are hindered by one or more Of these
scourges. Yet who is narrow enough
to say that there are not methods Of
decreasing the damages caused by
these things If the proper principals
are understood and carried out.
Altho the colleges and other edu-
cational institutions have done a
great deal Of good for our country,
they have not been without their
faults. The criticisms which the
thinking public has thrown out has
been quite just and it has had its
beneficial affect by stimulating on to
better education. Science with Prac-
tice" is very good motto but it has
been easier for our schools to preach
such theory than to practice it. All
too often the college man or woman
has been surrounded by tools alone
and hardly sees the things about which
they are studying from the beginning
of the term until the ending. Books
are all right in their place, but they
are by no means the only necessary
thing in an education. Someone has
said that "No man or woman is edu-
Gated, until he or she is able to earn
living" and it is q difficult thing
to earn living from theory alone.
1t is agood thing to have the brain
trained, but for most Of us, it is just
as important that the brain be trained
to do efficient work. The fact is that
the mind and hand improvement can
not be separated, for we do best by
learning and we learn best by doing.
Thousands of noble attempts have
been made to bring science and prac-
tice closer together and most of them
have left their good effects, but lit
tie permanent good was &C ,omplished
until the present vocational move
ments were started.
Vocational education consists in
the preparing of ones self for the
earning Of alivel.,,aod The pres
ent educational movements say that
this can best b. aeon n,sAad by
practising and siad;in. ,ae things
one wishes TO tx 10 in lifes work.
They have gone ilrther Than all sim
liar movaaieii ) Of thu past for they
have brought cat tactical working
plans whereby their theories may be
put into practice. In the colleges
we see their effects on every hand.
Many Of the courses are demanding
the students to work ut least two
summer vacations at the work about
they are studying. Some courses
are demanding that one year be spent
between the junior and senior years
at practical labor under efficient sup
ervision. Every where we see the
more practical applications being brot
out in class room and laboratory. BY
the use of good specimens, problems
surveys, trips and studies. The col.
leges are catching the true spirit Of
vocational education.
4 But vocational education does no
stop with our colleges. This is onl,
its beginning. for the greatest ser
vice comes when it is carried out t.
the masses. Vocational education
should and does belong to every DO,
Or girl, man or woman who has tn,
earning of livelihood to secure, and
it being brot out to the people VIII
need IL most n A u