The Coconino sun., 1924-05-02


cation, or know when he finishes high
school, will depend largely upon ones
conception of the purpose of educa-
ton.
If person believes that the primary
purpose of the high school is to pre-
pare the boy to make money, that
person will say that boy should
know a trade orlhave business train
ing, when he leaves high school.
If a person believes that the great
idea behind education is to train the
boy for citizenship, for service to his
fellowmen, and to lead him into the
profession, into the life that will af-
ford him the greatest enjoyment, and
the greatest opportunity for growth,
that person will say "Give him a
school"
Those of the money making con-
ception will say "Teach the boy how to
operate typewriter anil how to keep
books: but what's the use of Latin and
all such trash 2" Teach him to use
his hands.
Those of the other faith will say:
"F'ine! Teach the boy to use his
hands; but don't let him grow lop-
sided; train his mind, too." Latin,
mathmatics, history, and the sciences
all have a place in the development of
the mind, to say nothing of their value
in after life, either practically or cul-
turally.
We must admit, at the outset, of
course, that not every boy will profit
most by exactly the same training.
However, the average boy, who goes
through high school, should have such
a well rounded training that he will be
ready to step into the business house,
into the trades, into the office, and
learn quickly to do the work outlined
for him; be ready to take up his ap-
premiership as an upright citizen.
This will pre-suppose that he has been
taught to think for himself, and train
ed to work and to appreciate the Dig
ity of work.
I wonder sometimes if parents and
teachers take enough interest in the
courses of study selected by the boys.
| wonder If we appreciate that the
boys future may be greatly handi-
capped by his failure to have proper
direction in high school. Many boys
are inclined to follow the line of least
resistance-they want something easy.
In selecting courses they are apt to
choose the subjects that look easy.
81 wish someone had forced me to
take more science when was in high
school," noted writer told me year
or two ago. 81 took English and
history, but didn't think I'd like sci
ence. Now / need to keep up with
the development in the scientific
world, and my work demands that
be familiar with the working of the
natural laws, but / find myself hand
icapped because | didn't take physical
geography, chemistry and physics in
high school,, and cultivate a taste for
science and scientific reading"
The average boy doesn't need easy
courses in school; he should not be
allowed to choose, to take only the
studies that he likes. The boy needs
to learn to dig; his development de-
mands that he do something that he
does not like to do; that he take some
studies that he does not like. Some
times it seems to me that it would
pay big to have mental or voca-
tional specialist in every school, along
with the teachers of history, mathe-
MATES, science, languages, manual
training, etc., who would study and
endeavor to pick out the weak points,
the points that need strengthening,
and endeavor to direct the boys into
the line, into the work in after life
that they appear best fitted for. He
would direct them into the courses
that they need to best develop them.
So many boys go through life blindly
because they have not been directed
into right channels, and because they
have not been taught, or forced to
shoulder responsibility. They have
just drifted with the tide. The boy
needs to be taught to take the mi
tiative, to do, to act.
| wonder if too often parents have
not assumed that the boy was learn
ing everything which he needed to
know and neglected to pay any atten-
tion to his development. wonder if
parents are not often too easy on the |
high school boy, figuring that his
studies will take all of his time,
whereas the boy probably has too
much time that is not profitably occu-
pied He would probably do better
work in school and would probably |
develop into better, more useful cit |
izen, if he had certain tasks, outside |
of school. Give him time for athletics, |
of course, time for his studies, time
to develop his social nature, but give |
him some daily work and let him |
learn to work; he viii be the loser in
after life if he hasn't learned to work
and to like to work before he leaves
high school. The world has no place
for drones. Time spent in idleness
does not benefit the boy; it is apt to
make him lazy mentally and physic-
ally.
There is too much that boy can
learn during the idle moments that
viii not be an asset to him in after
life. Even the wideawake, busy boy
has plenty of opportunities to learn
the things that may handicap him
through life In looking back over
the high school days, find that the
boys who are making a success in life
are the fellows who had to hustle out
Il