NOTES ON EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 593, 23 August 1909, Page 5

NOTES ON EDUCATION.

(By Soceateb.) INDUSTRIAL INSTRUCTION. In the "School Century" of April last, thore appeared an articlo by Mr. Eugene Davenport, Dean of the Agricultural College at Illinois University (U S A), on tho subject of "Industrial Education—A Phase of the Problem of Universal Education," which was generally-admitted at tho time to bo a masterly presentation of tho modern aspects of irdnslrinl education It is a very lolig article, bristling with points, and m its general policv embodies to such an extent the ideas nn tho question, to which tho New Zealand Minister for Education (Hon. G Jfowlds) has recently given public utterance, as to suggest tho inferonco that tho honourable gentleman has been devoting soino attention to tho literature , of.tho subject, and that Mr. Davenport's sentiments may not improbably have inspired tho Ministerial attitude of mind. Universal Education. Mr. Davenport prefaces his argnmontß by recognising the broad fact that, rightly or wrongly, universal education bus become an , accepted article of public policy, and so must embrace within its scope all classes of men, all legitimate branches of their activity —both industrial and non-mdustrial, vocational and non-vocational—in short, tho education of all sorts of men for all sorts of purposes, and in all sorts of subjects that may contribute to the efficiency of tho individual in a professional way, or awake and develop tho best that is in him as a man and a human being. So considered, industrial education does not differ logically from nny other form of professional training requiring highly specialised knowledge, nor should industrial peoplo bo regarded as a class by themselves, for, contends Mr. Davenport, tho thesis that industrial education is not a thing apart, but n definite phase of a system of universal education, becomes clearly I defined when it is remembered that all men need two' educations—vocational and non-: vocational—one that will fit them to work, and ono that will fit them to hvo. In discussing. industrial education, as with all forms of education, it must always be remembered that ono is dealing tho "man" as well as tho "craftsman"—the wor4 is used in its broadest sense, to cover tl;o work of tho lawyer as well as of tho farmer — and his education is not to be liraitd by the demands of his vocation. "Wp have," complains Mr Davenport, "teo main of that kind already in all professions—a kind of museum of educational 'parrots, who go through their, daily 'stnnts, , each considering him-elf highly educated, aud all' other men at best merely trained." Building on this broadest of educational foundations, most of -the States have eetab-! lished industrial education on a new bans,' and some of them have so combined and interwoven it with other forms of education that none can tell where tho ono leaves off and the other begins. "Our elementary education," asserts Mr. Davtfiport, " is universal in a sufficient sense; our university education is rapidly becoming immense in its broadest sense, because hero all subjects aro studied and taught, and all occupniionß and industries aro represented and made to flourish in a common atmosphere of higher cducation, but as vet we have no sjstem of secondary education that con be called universal, and until this matter is settled the sjstem will bo weak at its most invDortint level, because it is our secondary education tint touches tho people during their fonnativo period, that realh reaches the masses in such a way as to,bo truly universal in extent " Thrca Opposing Infiuoncos. i Tho pioper development of tho high schools, coiisideis Mr Davenport, may bo affected bj throe opposing influences — 1. The movement in certain quarters for separate industrial schools—agricultural schools in the countrj and trade schools in the city—quite independent from the kgh school sj&tom whioh is assumed to be lndiffer- 1 ent, if not antagonistic, to industrial life. x 2 Tho attitude of a few remaining exponents of tho old'idea that schools should teaoh nothing that bj any possibility could be put to anv manner of use. , 3 The difficulty on tho part of tho high schools in adding, not only to their educational purpose, but to their courses of studv, their equipment, and their teaching force with sufficient rapidity to meet the now demands, and mould the whole into an educational unit\ without such delay , as would make tho claim seem true, that, after all, the high schools have no real desire to serve tho people in their industrial activities, but will do no more than is necessary to half satisfy what they regard as an irrational public demand. Inovltablo Results. "If," says Mr Davenport, "instead, of having separate schools we could unite our educational energies, every joung man and woman would secure an education at oiuo useful and cultural, and that at driving distance from home If, on the contrary tho arts, crafts, and industries are taught n separate schools certain results are inevitable "1 Them' will bo as many different schools and as many different forms of education ia there aro different forms of industry, with little of mutual sympathy and nothing >. of community of purpose "2 The vocational future of the individual will bo decided, not by intelligent choice, but by tho accident of proiinnty to one of these schools or the osigencj of earnin" power ' "3 The high schools, will lose their hold upon the masses, for 90 per cent of the people are industrial, and always will be. "4 The separate industrial schools will always bo inferior to what the high school might bo, for being established to smo special ends, they will naturally attain those ends bv tbo most dnect moans possible "5 The products of theso schools would bo successful from tho narrowest business standpoint, but unsuccessful from a laiger point of uow they would be trained rather than educated." v Summary. , * In short, the sum and substance of Mi Davenport s dissertation, of which the above is only the barest outline, is that all branches of secondary education should bo united, in each community, under one roof and conducted as single institutions Classical high schools, trade schools, agncultural schools, overy department of specialised effort in fact, instead of existing separately, for separate classes of the community, with separate aims and distinctive atmospheres, would unito under a single control, to the end that special ised twining in a vocational branch of study miqht be co-ordii)ated with the bioadpiimg influence of llon-vocational or cultural study That is the idea winch the New Zealand Minister for Education has been hinting at in some ot his recent speeches, and which, it is by no means improbable, will he sot down as a topic for discussion at the Education Conference to ho held in Wellington early in 1910. ■ArissWnllicr announces -her show of'spring' and summer millinery,' commencing to-motrow, at her showroom; 236, Lainbton Quay.'.-' .■•'.-,.:. ■ "The ■ 'proprietors regret to', announce that owing to increased taxation they have decided to close this hotel ae licensed premises'as .'from Saturday next, July 3, 1909.''—-This is tho text' of the announcement-''to the j)iiblic "that the Saracen's' Head Hotel, Snow Hill,! a •hotel , .immortalised by Charles Dickens in "Nicholas ;Niekleby'' : was to he closed. The hotel has been in existence for. between 300. and 400 years,', and is looked upon as one of tho landmarks of London. .''According to Dickens's famous story, Mr.. Squeers, of Dotheboys Hall, who.oOudncted nn academy for young oontlemen, near Barnard Castloi -Yorkshire;' used to. visit "the Saracen's: Head, and thore interview the students who were lq Ixs "accurately educated", nt his school. In the-' days, of mail conches tho hotel vvos of ■ considerable importance, being one of the recognised stopping places.for'the coaches.-., \ : At. Manchester.■; Assizes, .on : July..3; in. ~a breach of promise action, Sheffield v. Coin',; defendant's counsel :■ announced- that defendant had thought ;it right -to make payment of £1225, nnd to express openlv 'that: there vvas- nothing -in what plaintiff ■ had done! or' said which'.led to, the lamentable result. Unfortunately, defendant had changed his mind. Hewas young, and his, mother; had- paidi '■' ■' ; '■" "."■■ :: \'. ":\"' .:■:'•■■' -:g