The following editorial from the Boston Transcript presents a 1arger aspect
of the problem, which Beverly has not yet seriously considered. It would seem,
however, that as the future welfare of Beverly will' be dependent in a very
large degree upon her skilled mechanics, serious consideration must be given
to the matter, especially in connection with planning High School accommodations
for the future.
MANUAL TRAINING HIGH SCHOOLS
With the educational authorities of the country, Dr. T. M. Balliet, former1y
superintendent of schools in Springfield and now dean of the School of Pedagogy
in the University of New York, stands in the first rank. Among the conspicuous
features of his distinguished administration in the first-named city was the
prominence given to the Manual Training High School, which is undoubtedly,
one of the best of this class in the country. It did not receive his favor
and support because it was popular, though that was and is undoubtedly true,
of it, but because he recognized it as a vital factor in the scheme of secondary
education under existing conditions. Now, from his new ana in some respects
loftier and broader point of view, he expands and emphasizes his previous
convictions on this subject He tells us that three general types of modern
high school have developed from the old secondary schools that were purely
literary in character and purpose, these types being lithe literary, the commercial
and the technical or manual training." This is in accordance with the
changes that have occurred in our national industrial life. II Now we are
a nation of manufacturers and traders, and the foreign army that we have to
fear is not an army, which carries guns, but an army, especially a German
army which carries tools, and is commanded by captains of industry who have
been educated in the great Prussian technical schools. No artificial protection
of our markets will permanently avail to guard our industries against the
invasion of that army." We must train our coming forces in the tactics
of the lathe, the forge and the engine if we would main. Train our commercial
and industrial standing and integrity. Berlin alone has twenty-eight trade
schools of various kinds attended by over twenty-five thousand students, and
the Germans are as thorough in their educational as in their military methods.
But it is no part of his scheme that the manual training high schools should
degenerate into mere trade schools. They should be employed for II training
directors of industry and that large number of men who come between the engineer
and the mechanic." While acquiring these special values he would not
have the culture which we associate with these institutions neglected, and
there is no reason
Manual training
that boys who are educated in these schools accomplish very nearly as much
in academic subjects as boys in classical schools." They are prepared
for college in everything except Greek; they are prepared for engineering
schools and lay the foundation for learning certain industrial trades requiring
a high degree of skill.
The question may naturally arise as to the ability of the student to attain
this dual achievement in the same time that is de-voted to classical training
alone, and Dr. Balliet undertakes to 'I explain it. The work of the bench
and the lathe comes as a welcome relief from constant bookwork, and time is
saved from gymnasium exercise of which boys in the manual training school
do not need so much as those whose work is purely sedentary. Then, there is
more interest and enthusiasm, and even book work receives a more real and
practical interpretation from the manual training. It is an old saying that
when we would enlist men for service we must appeal to men already busy, and
the habits of industry and application, which are acquired by manual training;
react wholesomely upon purely academic study. The importance of this subject
can hardly be over-estimated.
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