Evening star., 1926-10-24
YOUR CHILD
In SCHOOL
By Dr.. Frank ". Bnllou,
Superintendent of Schools, Washington
d. c.
no. EDUCATIONAL EDUCATION

A>O. u SUNN IUANfAA EDN "A lIUA<.
! The problem Of preparing our boys
and girls for the places they are to
fill as the citizens of this Republic in
the years to come has a definite voca
tional phase. 1t is the business of the
school to fit the child for some place
| in society. To be successful in achiev-
| ing this task any school system. and
| the public schools in particular. must
be able to fit the youngsters who are
confided to it's care to be useful citi-
zens. Otherwise its efforts are largely
unavailing.
| In building up a school system, the
state looks to it's teaching body to
provide the hands that will guide the
destinies Of the communities of tomor
row. That is but the political side of
the question. however.
In contrast, there are the individ
uals interests. for society Of today is
a structure in which the members are
interdependent, each individual CON
tributing some product of his skill to
| the community. the State or the Nation
as a whole. Thus has arisen our com.
mercial and industrial world. which
functions to supply the needs of So
ciety at large by applying and capital
izing the labor. the talents and the
/ training Of its constituent members.
The public schools must give espe-
cial attention to the needs of com
! merce and industry. since it is to the
individual who most needs to prepare
to earn a living that the public school
should he especially helpful.
| The means with which EDUCATORS
have been performing this eminently
practical task Is instruction of a vo-
cational or pre-vocational nature.
| Just what this type of instruction
shall. include has been subjected to
exhaustive study by the teaching pro-
fession. and the results have been
most encouraging.
There is wide diversity as to the
Interpretation OF the term "voca-
tional." To some it means detailed
exhaustive. training In trade: to
others it is an abortive attempt to
give youngsters "smatterinE" of
trade subjects they will find directly
useful in earning 4 livelihood.
| Fortunately, the practice is between
these two extremes. The accepted
: practice scrupulously avoids carrying
so-called trade methods beyond the ca.
pacities, needs and interests of pupils
workers. The fundamental purpose of
vocational education In the public
schools is to guide the child in his
educational development and not to
make OF him finished craftsman.
Obviously. ii would he futile to at.
tempt to give elaborate voca tional in.
struction that would prepare q boy or
girl completely for specialized trade.
| Aside from the great expense such a
scheme would entail and the many oh
stacles it would encounter in opera
ton. the ages at which pupils pass
through the intermediate and high
schools constitute the chief difficulty.
| The adolescent child has little seri.
Gus idea of what he wants to be in
after years and an imperfect realiz-
alton or command Of his capa bilities.
I Here is where the school can perform
its most helpful function. that OF seek
ing out and directing the child's talents
! into channels which will enable him to
discover an aptitude for particular
vocation.
| Properly. this is vocational educa.
| tion in the public schools. 1t is as far
as the wise educator wants to go, and
l it is al far as most schools can 60.
| One must not overlook the fact that
all education has an ultimate general
vocational purpose. Academic sub.
| jects, so.called, must form solid foun.
fdation for all training no matter how
! it IL to be applied. Without the
breadth of view and foundation that
! these subjects give, the youthful mind
would be incapable Of assinnilating the
lessons Of the shop. the sewing or the
| cooking class. Not only would we
have intellectually unbalanced indi-
viduals. but poor citizens. who would
be unable to perform the duties Of
| citizenship. They would be able neither
to earn living nor to live a success.
full life.
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