The Importance of Industrial Training in Our Schools
By Florence Howell
SINCE knowledge is so broad, and life is so short, it is impossible for us to learn everything. And one of the first things to do is to choose the certain branches of knowledge that are of most importance and value to us. For instance, one may learn the distance between every town and hamlet in England, and this knowledge might be useful to him sometime, if he were ever so fortunate as to travel through that country. But is there any proportion between the time spent in memorizing these facts and the value of the knowledge thus gained? The question is not whether it is knowledge, but whether that knowledge has intrinsic value to us. Is not an acquaintance with the industrial side of knowledge of intrinsic value to us as a people? If so, it should be listed in our curriculum. But you say these things can be taught at home and thus save the school hours: but can they be taught at home? Is it not true that the work done in the home very often is governed by the necessity of the case without any regard to its suitableness to the age of the child or his previous knowledge and drill? And we know that order is a time-saver in educational lines as well as in others. Isolated facts are not easily remembered. We learn everything in connection with what we have known before, and this spasmodic method of learning is certainly not the easiest nor by any means the best method to follow. The perfect educational system is the one that fits us for life, says Herbert Spencer. Then do we need industrial training in our schools? In order that the physical welfare of our people as a whole and the different families, as individuals, may be insured, the children in our schools must be obtaining knowledge along these lines. “The proper cooking of food is a most essential acquirement, especially where meat is not made the staple article of diet. Something must be prepared to take the place of meat, and these foods must be well prepared, so that the meat will not be desired.”—“Special Testimonies.” Our children must learn the composition of various food substances before they can combine them to the best advantage to supply all the needs of the body. A professor in a university, being asked by a class in psychology, “What one thing has the most to do with the production of a strong mental condition?” unhesitatingly replied, “A good supply of pure blood to meet all the requirements of the brain,” thus emphasizing the fact that the best physical condition is necessary to the greatest mental growth, and I might add spiritual growth as well. They must learn the elements of botany, that they may choose intelligently the substances used for food, and of zoology, that they may battle against the disease germs, and by knowledge of sanitation reduce the danger from these enemies of the human race to a minimum. They must not be ignorant of the subject of physics, and be helpless before the plumbing, the range, and the other mechanical devices of a kitchen. A fair knowledge of physiology and simple treatments is of vital importance; but this subject is so broad and, I am glad to say, well known that I will not enter into a discussion of it. These subjects are not subjects for high schools and colleges only. In their entirety they are, but the principles are simple enough, commonplace enough, and necessary enough to come into our church-schools. The children may be taught that any work ignorantly or carelessly done is degrading and displeasing to our Great Teacher. By means of industrial work the teacher has an excellent opportunity to teach tidiness, cleanliness, patience, consideration for others, prompt obedience to directions, and the gentle art of hospitality. Personal prejudices against some kinds of work are overcome. Manual art is not to be despised. The love for the beautiful needs to be developed among us. A desire for beautiful things is not wrong. God himself is the author of beauty, and when the creation was finished, and God pronounced it good, he felt that satisfaction which we feel (only ours is in a lesser degree) when things are as they should be. This is beauty. We have left it too much out of our lives. Articles of hand work have much value in eye and hand training. The development of accurate work is very much needed, and the making of these articles26is one of the best ways to develop this accuracy. These things need not be ornamental merely; they should be useful, and this will lead directly to the making of larger articles of furniture. What shall we do with industrial training?