| Show ONE PHASE OF OUR SCHOOL sya TEM in some quarters in this state and particularly in this city public opinion is ia a little touchy on the school question and it is perhaps better for the present purpose of the news that it should be so rather than that it should be calloused that purpose is to lay before parents a few facts with a view to inciting agitation and if possible the discovery and practical application of a remedy for what many conservative citizens regard aa a great evil associated soc socia ted with the elaborate and costly school system orthis of this city and though in a lesser degree probably with the schools of the state generally it is complained that the education provided for by and acquired acquire din in the schools fails to fit a boy for the practical I 1 duties of life and not only thia but that it gives him false notions of life and its real obligations it to I 1 claimed that a boy who goes thi through rough the whole course of instruction embraced within the public school system of this city will leave the high school destitute in a great degree at least leaa of the qualifications necessary to ensure his bis success in the struggle of life worse than this his mind to Is likely to be prejudiced against acquiring those qualifications after leaving school to illustrate in a thoroughly practical manner precisely what Is here meant we here give as given to ime 08 the facts relating to a peculiar though simple investigation which was waa recen recently tir made by a gentleman of this city who has raised to maturity a large family of sons and daughters has had a wide and varied experience in the practical affairs of life and was desirous of ascertaining certa ining for himself the trend in the public schools of this city he selected a certain school for his inquiries and took all the boys in it above the fifth grade he caused to be put to baca each boy the question what vocation do you yolk intend to follow fifty boys answered the question and of that total one r re plied piled that he wanted to be a farmer and one that he desired to be a carpenter while forty eight chose the professions fes they wanted to become doctors lawyers dentists architects etc the noble trade of a blacksmith the useful one of a wheelwright the necessary 0 ones onea of mason painter machinist etc were all overlooked not a boy of the forty eight failed to regard with aversion all such occupations each of at them desired some stylish and hegt toned method of making a living it might be urged that boys in the sixth seventh and eighth grades are not old enough to fix upon their future callings in in life but there is only too good reason to fear that the selections they make while so youngs young become more and more confirmed while they are am in the tha high school and that their resolution not to learn a trade nor to become a farmer famer Is unalterable by the ltv time they graduate from the state university or some college if parents generally in this city desire that all their sons shall become professional men then our present school system is about what Is wanted but parents who desire to se see their sons become independent and industrious dust rious workers earning a livelihood by transforming the elements of nature into shapes and commodities to be of use to man and who object to the shams and sophistries sophis tries by which a parasite is made to appear more honorable than a producer have good grounds on which to ask tor for a reform in our present methods of education tt it is not here intended to reflect upon the teachers in the schools their work is laid out tor for them and they must keep within its lines nor is it intended to deny that the evils here complained of are found in most cities where the american school system prevails the age of an error may be so great as to make that error venerable but can never make it a truth nor can the universality of evil ever make it good let the iconoclasm for which utah is famous be applied to h schools until datil they conform to common sense and the needs of human existence |
