San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-02

the states of the union in educational
matters.
By way of depression, few will deny
that the country boys and girls of Texas
in many localities are not getting their
Just share of educational facilities. In
Texas, as i'll most states, too much stress
is laid upon the educational facilities of
the larger centers Of population while
too frequently, the rural population is
almost lost sight of.
But getting back to the question OF
education itself, it might be we'll to ask
some of these cock-sure educators who
brand this state as backward in educa-
ton, just what they mean by the word.
AS matter of fact the people OF Texas
are not uneducated in strict sense of
the word. Eliminating the element
that is educated from the standpoint
Of schooling and dealing only with the
larger element that has had limited
schooling, the average of intelligence is
still high. Moreover these people arc
very we'll equipped for life. Were they
to fix an educational standard based
upon the things that are essential for
them to know in their respective call
ings, how many of those who attempt
to classify this state as thirty-ninth in
educational matters could qualify?
A point at instance is contained in
brief dispatch from st. Louis to the eff
feet that sheep and a goat, and COW
were going to be kept at the city's zoo
because large percentage of the school
children never had seen such animals.
In other words, they were hsing "edu-
Gated" along the arbitrary standard set
by educators but were grossly ignorant
as to some very essential and practical
things. They drank milk without know
ing whence it came. OF course none OF
them could milk a COW. Not one had
ever harnessed horse, nor had they
sheared a sheep or clipped the mohair
from a goat. Doubtless they were tin
aware that the clothing that covered
their bodies came from such a source
and as for the cotton plant, all they
know about it consisted of a brief state
ment and small picture in a text book.
Nothing of the hardships and labor of
production, the fight against the boil
worm, the ginning and baling and mar
keting was included in their "educa-
tional" program.
The Texas boy and the Texas girl,
taken in the mass, have an excellent
knowledge of the essential things in their
respective localities. In the cotton dis
tricts, they know all about cotton from
seeding to selling; on the range they
can ride and rope and brand livestock;
in the sheep country, they know how
to tend flock, what to do to prevent dis
ease and to cure those infected; in the
fruit district, they are experts in horti-
culture and so on. Practically all of
them read and write and use mathema-
tics sufficiently we'll for their needs. Re-
place them with the educated" products
OF those states rated highly for educa-
tional facilities and literacy and the new
corners would not he able to make a liv-
ing, much less produce the food and raj
ment for half the globe.
Unfortunately we are having an era
of educated ignorance, if such para
dox is possible. We are Educating" a
number OF our boys and girls according
to code which may be effective in a
limited sphere but we are failing utterly
to give them a practical and useful
knowledge of how to earn livelihood.