the indian school journal - National Archives and Records ...

THE INDIA SCHOOL JOUR 'AL-ABOUT INDIANS 19
sound. normal boys in a 'practical' atmosphere,
getting a 'practical' education.
They had conventional schoolwork
of the grammar grades, and in
addition learned to be printers. machinists,
carpenters, and farmers.
The great city is only three miles
away, with its museums, music, operas,
libraries, and all that a centre
of American culture can give; yet
each boy leaves the school grounds
only two to four times a year. If a
boy, after months of this complete isolation,
goes to the city without permission,
he is subject to dismissal. It
would be impossible to design furniture
more cheaply, drearily ugly than
that in the dining-room. The chairs,
which cost sixty-fil'e cents each. are
like those which can be bought in any
cheap furniture store. The dormitory
is a huge barn-like room with
long rows of little white cots, absolutely
the only other individual furniture
in the room being a harness-hook
on the wall for each boy, where he
may hang his clothes.
This is a literally truthful account
of a 'practical' school. sending out
American boys into life in American
cities. The master is a man of substantial
natil'e ability. who would react
quickly to any opportunity for
better things; but he has little I'oice
in determining policies. The school is
financed and controlled by men who
represent the cream of American culture.
graduate;; of a great and grand
old Gnil·ersity. where their classica:
training was dominated by the 'humanities.'
As I left the institution I thoul!'ht
of Lanier's plaint;-
Ala>. for the poor to have some part
In y~n :-weet !:nng lands of art,
~Iakes problem not for head, but heart.
\'ainly mil!ht Plato', brain renl"e it
Plainly the heart of a child could sol"e it.
The East is not alone at fault. In a
large western city an endowment of
five million dollars recently has been
provided to found a trade-school. The
head of this institution has complete
freedom of action. He requires el'ery
working boy who enters the institution
to be actil'ely engaged in the "particular
trade in which he studie~, and
his school-work is confined to adding
to his expertness in that trade. When
I a;;ked whether this system did not
narrow the pupil and prevent the dewlopment
of larger appreciation of
life. I received the reply that it might
be unfortunate for these boys to hal'e
appreciations developed which would
make them discontented with their
lot. The head of thi~ institution accepts
enthusia~tically the ~pirit of the
German educational system.
In thi< ~ame city I found a typical
stereotyped cla~;;ical ~econdary school.
where tho chief object would seem to
be to eliminate contact with life. To
do this more effectively. the school is
placed so far out of the city that two
hour'~ time each da)' is necessary for
going an~ coming. _-0 use is made of
the counlr)' space except to prol'ide an
athletic fleld. and the curriculum has
made practically no concessions to
knowledgp that men hal'e gained during
the !lst century. Wherel'er possible
thi~ in~titution ha~ adopted the
forms and terminology of the great
English public schooh-. Wealthy bu. i­
nes> men send their boy there to prepare
them for college
The two phases of education ought
never to hal'e been separated, and it
is because we habitually adopt current
ideas rather than create our own that
we have continued to think of them
as distinct. and as requiring separate
insti utions. In planning the education
of a child it is our duty deliber-