Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-25

boys went to be apprenticed to bank
| ers or farmers or mechanics gave a
! practical viewpoint. But the all
around viewpoint can be obtained
! only by looking at ones occupation
from the complete angle and that is
the angle that boys should be able
to get in college on some occupation
that they might choose. There is
| far too much of the impractical in
our education system"
! Don't you imply that in our uni
| Versities and colleges there is a dis
! examination against manual labor?"
l asked.
Precisely" answered Miss Mont.
! sier. "A good farmer is as valuable
| to society as a good doctor or banker.
| The trouble is that we are suffering
| from tradition. If you will go back
| into the history of antiquity, you will
| find that the only people who were
! respected and regarded as amounting
to anything were mobiles. warriors
! and churchmen. In Greek history
| the business man was looked down
on. The artisan and manual worker
was without the caste of respect. For
| long while in certain parts of the
| United States a gentleman lost caste
| If he worked-or if he worked With
his hands.
Business Man New God.
To-day the business man is our
new god. He is very much esteemed
and respected and yet he once be.
longed to the strata of society that
was the least approved. Accordingly,
why should education continue to
exert n snobbish distinction between
labor with the head and labor with
the hands? When we look the truth
fairly in the face, we might dispense
with every occupation except that Of
the farmer. He is the foundation of
society. Why shouldn't we include
the farmers interests in the courses of
our universities? 1t Is the aim Of
progressive education to stimulate
people to be original and to equip
themselves to do a work in life that
will support them. Education in this
sense is not q mere adornment of
life-it is not only a means of making
life more livable-but, more funda.
mental still, it seeks to build nation
of workers-men and women, equip
ped with education to do work, be
paid for 1t and makes themselves eco.
nomically independent. OF such ambi-
tons strong nations are made.
Let me summarize my criticism of
our present educational system.
First of all. education today Is too
standardized, too destructive Of origi.
nality and initiative. Let me saw that
any educational system that withers
initiative and originality is a heavy
national loss. Today we cram too
much into heads and teach them far
too little how to use what they have
learned. The first aim of progressive
education Is to encourage students
to do the greater part of the work
themselves. The teacher plays a
minor role. The student is encouraged
to write original poetry or fiction
original designs, etc.
Culture Is Emphasized.
In the second place, modern edu-
cation places too much confidence in
the value of mere culture as a means
to making the best possible use of a
human life. 1t neglects the necessity
that livelihood comes before the en-.
Joyment Of culture. A student must
first equip himself to make his living |
before he will be in a position to make |
life. You can't make a life without |
first making living. Our education, |
therefore, should aim to equip stu. |
dents as soon as possible with a trade |
in life, giving them, of course, enough |
Of cultural courses to make them ed. |
ucated in the fullest sense of the |
word.
I'm order to do this our educational
system should be revamped all along |
the line. Emphasis should be laid on |
first equipping the student to make a |
living. If ones talents are not great, |
a student should be placed in some |
occupation quite soon. leaving his |
more mentally equipped brethren to |
go onward and aspire to higher and |
more difficult occupations. But under |
such a system every one would be |
equipped for at least some occupation. |
There would be far less jobless youths |
and in consequence far less crime |
If the diagnosis of the authority on |
crime is correct.
Urges Wider Curricula.
Finally. we need wider college cur.
ricula. A modern university should in |
clude more interests. There is no good |
reason why farmer cannot receive a |
diploma for a knowledge Of farming |
from a university as we'll as a doctor |
or a lawyer, or a student of history |
or mathematics.
I'm this way we send every boy and |
girl who goes through the educational |
system out into the world armed with |
tools for a livelihood. We make educa-
ton serve the end Of life which is to
sustain life as effectively as possible. |
Those who believe in progressive edu-
cation have no objection to letting |
students study purely cultural courses
courses which old-fashioned legisla-
tors thought so important in the max.
ing of a life. That kind Of education
will still go on. But along with 1t will
be the opportunity for different-mind-
ed people to choose other courses
which will give them enough culture
and yet equip themselves to get an
economic start in life, found family, |