Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-03-22
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL =. COLLINS.

agricultural schools, as we'll as voca-
tional and home economic schools.
~
According to the last annual report OF
the Federal Board for Vocational Edu-
cation tof which board James J.
Davis Secretary OF Labor is chairman.
and DR.. John J. Tigert, commissioner Of
education, is vice chairman. the total
vocational education amounted TO less
than $4,000 900, while the State and
local funds added thereto exceeded
$24, 900 900.
For rehabilitation, there Is total
available Of Sl.034 900. Of which $63l.-
3ls.7e comes from the States. In addi-
ton to what Ia supported thus by joint
Federal and State funds, many States
add other expenditures for which no
Federal aid Is available. So the States
are not Sinking.
The public has become familiar with
rehabilitation of veterans of the war
who, by reason of their wounds, were
incapacitated from carrying on the
trades they had learned before the war.
But the peoples are not so well &C
Quainted with the similar rehabilitation
applied TO civilians, who by reason OF
industrial accidents or other disabilities
become untitled to work at the trade
they had learned. yet, II trained. might
Ia seif-supporting at some other voca-
ton.
A violinist. well educated In music,
will be utterly unable TO play his violin
II he loses the little finger of his left
hand But with his musical training. 10
which a specialized practice might be
added. he could become leader OF an
orchestra. The salvage OF wounded
soldiers Is no greater In percentage than
that of disabled civilians. A EARNED
carpenter might become a merchant, or
10 breeder Of live stock, II properly edu-
Gated.
There have been evolved In the last
decade great changes In the psychology
OF training. Formerly. the classic coll
leges contended that the essentials of
education were embodied In discipline
of the mind into general habits of OBJ
servation. apperceptson, memory. rea-
aoning and Judgment, for effective use
In meeting every problem ana every sit
uation." Modernists contend that "all
the habits In which the learner must
he trained-his thinking habits. his
doing habits and the habits which en-
able him TO confront 10 his environment
must be specific In terms of the Job
and It's demands" THAT Is quoted from
Vocational Education IN Democracy
by prosser and Ailen-~the latter of
whom Is assistant director OF the Fed
erai Board OF Vocational Education. OF
which Director Wright Is headl
The argument is illustrated by train
ing golf player~~not by theorems Ut
action and reaction and halliSties, but
by giving him stick and ball and
setting him at practice~-under expert
guidance but with practice, lie plays
the game while learning
Vocational education flnds II neces-
sary to discard any idea OF training In
the fundamentals OF thinking or Of
doing or OF adaptation 10 environment,
even II II assumed that there are any
such things as these fundamentals,
= All vocational training must be
speoific In terms of the particular oc~
! eupation IN which the individual Is 10
be trained
1.-THE way to make good poultry
farmer" says the book, lis TO have
him take care OF fioek Of poultry while
YOU teach him the how and the why
Of the proper way To do his work, and
10 meet the various situations that arise,
10 which he must apply skill and
knowledge intelligently, You will
never do this as teacher, with long
oourses IN either mathmaties or Ko-
ology,"
There IA 50 mlrh common "horae
ssnse IN this doctrine that only one OF