Trade and Industrial Education and Industrial Arts Their Respective Aims, Materials and Methods Prof. D. J. MacDonald N view of the fact that considerable misunderstanding prevails among teachers and administrators in the respective fields of Trade and Industrial Education and Industrial arts as to the specific service each is supposed to render, I have deemed it fitting to attempt to clear away the most prominent causes of differences. One thing is certain, any contribution I may be able to make in this direction will be conducive to greater efficiency among the members of the two groups since the time and energy now consumed in carrying on needless, and oftentimes fruitless, discussions may be more largely given over to constructive work. As intimated in the title of this article, I wish to consider the topic under three main headings, namely, first, Aims or Objectives, second, The Materials Worked With, i. e., Pupils, Subject Matter and Equipment, and third, Methods of Administration and Teaching Employed. It need not be pointed out to the readers of this magazine that consideration might also well be given to other aspects of the subject. My main object ive will have been achieved, however, when I have considered in a broad way merely the main points. It is none too widely or well understood, unfor tunately, that the framers of the Smith-Hughes Law, as well as those who have had its administration in hand, had in mind affording and providing appropriate assistance of educational character to employed, rather than to unemployed, persons. At first glance this point of view seems to present no outstanding difficulties. One might say that theoretically it seems perfectly clear and quite possible of being administered easily and acceptably; but when it comes to putting the idea into practice, experienced school administrators have found it-in fact, are still finding it not only difficult of comprehension but practically impossible to administer. And so far as I can interpret the signs of the times, this is largely for one reason, namely, that they have to a very large degree insisted upon trying to make it fi the needs of those for whom it was never primarily inte ided by its framers and executors. That is to say, they have tried to apply it to the needs of pupils al ready in school. Were time and space available, plenty of evidence could be cited in support of this statement. But since such is not the case, it will suffice to refer the reader to the usual evening and industrial classes as conducted in different parts of the country. It is too well known to require or even warrant the statement here that, in the main, the unsatisfactoriness of our evening industrial school work is largely due to administrative inefficiency. Quite uniformly it may be asserted that those in charge of such work have insisted upon employing traditional means of advertising and administering it, evidently forgetful or ignorant of the fact one hesitates to say which-that they are dealing with an entirely different type of pupil and that, therefore, an entirely different method of administration and teaching must be employed. Aims or Objectives. Let us say then that the primary aim of trade and industrial education is increased vocational efficiency; but at the same time, let us not forget the important aspect of the work as expressed in the phrase, "to increase the civic and vocational intelligence." In other words, while the first aim is to increase the employee's ability as a craftsman, inseparably associated with this is that of helping him to become a better citizen. It will be noted at once that the aim or objective-even though two-fold in character-is undeniably specific, since it has to do with "building up workers in or on their jobs." It might be said that remoteness does not at all enter as a factor. Neither does indirectness play a part. The aim is clear, direct, and specific, in fact, so clear, so direct, and so specific, that one might be justified in saying that "the wayfarer, though a fool, need not err therein." When we turn to the industrial arts field proper, we find quite different conditions. In the first place, it may be said without fear of contradiction that the aim here is general rather than specific. Undoubtedly, if a poll were taken of the industrial arts teachers of the whole country, it would be found that 99 per cent of them are not trying to turn out mechanics. In reality such it is not, nor was it ever intended to be the pur pose of this kind of work, despite the efforts of a limited few in the field. Incidentally, I may add that where the efforts just referred to have been put forth at all vigorously, they have merely resulted in giving the undiscriminating and more or less meddlesome public an entirely wrong conception of the real purpose of the work and, as a direct consequence, have materially injured, in restricted localities, not only industrial arts, but the entire educational movement. Industrial arts has been, is, and should continue to be, a very definite and important part of the general education scheme, and though it deals exclusively with manual activities, its objective, briefly stated, may be said to be "knowledge of, rather than intimate acquaintance with," such manual activities. I like to consider the objective of industrial arts work in terms of appreciation rather than in terms of development of skill. Thus, in a very decided manner, it provides the opportunity for acquiring an appreciation of the meaning (a) of tool using and the problems connected therewith; more, different trades. The only sense, therefore, in which this aim may be considered specific is as a selective force or agency. The one other purpose of industrial arts work I shall mention is what is usually referred to as the recreational one. I refer to that manual ability one acquires which ever after serves him in a thousand and one ways, both within and outside the home. Because of this he knows how certain objects are made and how to set about repairing many of them. Tools and their various uses are not, as would otherwise be true, entirely outside his experience. Nor is this ability to serve limited to himself; for, very often because of it, he can increase the happiness of others as well. If, now, we compare these two types of education from the standpoint of their respective contributions in the way of building up desirable attitudes toward life and its problems, and of helping to establish or develop abilities which are indispensable to success, we shall find that while both contribute, in one case the contribution is general, in the other it is undeniably (b) of material handled for definite purposes, for specific or limited in application to one vocation or example, to make it serve specific ends; (c) of planning jobs and getting them done on time, i. e., thinking constructively and executing satisfactorily; (d) of a hand- and machine-made world; (e) of accuracy and neatness in a new and vitally important sense. To repeat, these appreciations, rather than the acquisition of a large amount of specific and usable knowledge in any one field, together with the accompanying skill and the intelligence to use such knowledge, is what industrial arts should endeavor to accomplish. And may I add, that to the extent that it accomplishes these worth-while objectives, it becomes just as definitely cultural in value as any other subject in the course of study. So much for the outstanding objectives of such work. We may now profitably consider for a moment some less important ones. Among these the one that stands out most prominently is that of providing opportunity to sample or try out several different lines of manual activities. Such service is usually referred to as "educational guidance of vocational intent." As to the reason for such experimenting being carried on largely in the field of wood-working, when, as is well known, metal work as such has for years played an increasingly larger part in the world's industrial program, the writer has never felt entirely clear, particularly when leaders in the field have more recently maintained that vocational sampling is one of the important objectives. Surely, "hewers of wood" do not predominate in the world today. But, be that as it may, it will be observed that even this aim is general, so far as any one vocation is concerned, for, as a rule, the pupils are permitted to sample from three to six, or occupation. That is to say, in trade and industrial work, the pupil is helped to acquire knowledge and skill in one trade or is taught to use his knowledge and skill wisely in that distinct line of activity; while in industrial arts, he is helped to acquire a certain amount of trade knowledge in different fields, likewise, a limited amount of skill, but the emphasis is placed upon strengthening his ideals as to what constitutes accuracy, neatness, ability to think straight, punctuality, industry, dependability, etc., in the whole field of manual activ ities. Materials, Particularly Pupils, Dealt With. The main factor to be considered under this heading is the pupil. What we are concerned with is the extent to which the same type or grade of pupil is or may be interested in both fields, that is, the trade and industrial as distinct from the industrial arts. To answer this question satisfactorily, it will be necessary to consider some statistics, for we must know among other things with what the pupils' industrial-arts work is chiefly concerned. We must know, also, the extent to which, if at all, it concerns itself with part-time pupils. And finally, we must know what proportion of the total work of trade and industrial education has to do with full-time pupils. With these queries answered, we shall know much better whether the quarrel carried on by the members of the two groups has a real basis in fact. The first outstanding fact is that the great bulk of industrial arts work is carried on in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, and that, therefore, it concerns itself largely with the pupils in these grades. Obviously, the degree to which it concerns itself with the eighth grade, for example, depends very much upon the upper limit of the compulsory attendance period. In Ohio, · the new law passed in 1921 requires full time attendance of both sexes until 16 years of age, or until the seventh grade is completed. It is manifest, in this instance, that the greater requirement was inserted in order to take care of laggards, since normal pupils who start school at six years of age have completed the eighth grade before they are sixteen. But so far as our problem is concerned, we must bear in mind that in the large majority of states compulsory attendance. laws are less exacting than they are in Ohio. The above fact is well indicated in the following government statistics which say, in effect, that of every hundred school children thirteen leave school in the fourth grade; another thirteen in the fifth grade; another fourteen in the sixth grade; and another 27 in the seventh and eighth grades. In other words, 67 per cent, or two out of every three children never get beyond the eighth grade, while almost fifty per cent never get beyond the sixth grade. The bearing of these figures upon our problem is easily evident. If twothirds of our youth never attend school after the eighth grade, then it is clear that any type of education which deals exclusively with full time pupils will be of no service to those two-thirds of our population; likewise, is it clear that a type of education which is intended primarily for employed persons, will have chiefly to do with this two-thirds of the population. Is it not apparent, when viewed from this angle, that, with the exception of a few localities, the two types of education under consideration are not only not intended for the same pupils but that in the very nature of things they cannot, for the most part, do other than serve two different groups? Is it not clear, also, that the only common ground possible to them is that of the full-time pupil who is definitely preparing to enter some vocational trade? That, relatively speaking, this number is exceedingly small need not be called to the mind of one who is at all conversant with current conditions. The truth is, the number of full-time pupils, taking the country over, who have definitely decided to prepare for a distinct occupation, rather than to continue in school for a longer or shorter period, is extremely small. I am but voicing the conviction of others when I say that the so-called unit day trade school provided for in the Smith-Hughes Act is destined to play an increasingly smaller part in the entire trade and industrial education program. The reason, in full, for this I shall not take time to mention.. Suffice it to say that the cost of providing the necessary equipment for carrying on such work is in most cases prohibitive, the outstanding exception being printing, and to a lesser degree, sheet metal work, and, possibly, auto mechanics. Broad, yet basic training, one might say, is not only what the schools should provide, but it is apparently the only thing they can afford, financially speaking, to provide. I cannot refrain from mentioning one other reason why teaching trades to full-time pupils will not become an important phase of our educational system. The following figures tell their own story: Of 18,000 industrial jobs, which were carefully analyzed during the war, at least 76 per cent of them could be approximately mastered in periods ranging from one hour to one month, the average being ten days. These figures are supported by the following quotation from the December, 1921, number of the Atlantic Monthly, where Mr. Arthur Pound states that "seventy per cent of the employees for certain large allied plants could be fitted into their jobs in three days or less." Is it, therefore, necessary, or even excusable, to raise the question once more as to whether our schools can hope, except in a very minor way, to prepare our youth for industries which are becoming more, rather than less, specialized in nature? Before leaving this phase of the subject it will be well to consider briefly the high school, the part it plays, and the way it bears upon our question. Practically all are familiar with the history of the development of the technical high school, whose promoters, as educational literature abundantly attests, profoundly believed that through this means they would be enabled to increase to an appreciable degree the number of first class mechanics in the industrial world; and how their bubble was pierced when they found that the boys who took technical work in high schools rarely ever were found at the machines; but, on the contrary, were almost invariably and within a short time after completing their school work enrolled among the minor executives of industry. An interesting side light upon this phase of the subject is found in some unpublished statistics gathered by Mr. H. W. Schmidt, of Wisconsin: he reports in a study of 15,000 students in 54 high schools that 6 3/10 per cent preferred agriculture as an occupation, while 31 per cent of the state population is engaged in agriculture; that 36 per cent prefer the professions, while 5 2/10 per cent of the state population are in the professions; that 4 3/10 prefer mechanical trades while over 34 per cent are in such trades; that 22 4/10 per cent-both sexes-prefer business and clerical positions, while 15 2/10 per cent are in such positions. The conclusions, which support my point of view as stated above, are that the occupations in agriculture and industry are recruited very largely from young people who have never reached the high school. Further support is found in a statement, which, unfortunately, is not supported by statistics published in connection therewith, found in the Manual Training Magazine, January, 1922. It reads as follows: "Eighty per cent of industrial workers do not go far enough in school to enter all-day trade schools." When one carefully examines the question, he cannot but note that in all probability the real source of trouble is found in the socalled prevocational type of education, for here, more than anywhere else, we find what seems to be the chief area of common ground. It is in this type of class, as is well known, that pupils are expected to gain helpful ideas regarding different ways of earning a livelihood; likewise, to acquire a small amount of trade knowledge and skill. If, in considering the bearing which this type of education has upon our topic, we remember that it is not recognized as falling within the scope of the federal vocational act and that it can be rather easily carried on in one form or another in industrial-arts work, we have gotten our fingers on the real cause of the controversy. Since industrial arts work cannot help from being of a vocational guidance character, how easy and natural it is to try to make it slightly more than that! Moreover, who would object to such modification of the course, of the method of teaching, etc., as is necessary, to make this service possible? But, while such is the case, it must not be forgotten that this is the sampling period-vocationally speaking-for the pupil, the period intended to acquaint him with different lines of activities, to broaden his conception of life, to enable him to think in new ways along new lines, to build up a keener appreciation of what is done with one's hands with the help of tools, machines, materials, etc. In short, the objective still remains unquestionably general, rather than specific, in character. One might say in all truth, that the prevocational service afforded is merely incidental. Methods of Administration and Teaching. Important aspects of the third phase of our topic, that of administration and teaching methods, have been foreshadowed in earlier paragraphs. There remains to give definite and detailed consideration to them. It is scarcely excusable to remind the reading public that vocational education, as such, presents problems of administration and teaching which were never dreamed of by the majority of present day school superintendents, a fact, which, by the way, is becoming increasingly obvious as the days pass, particularl" in those states which have launched a real vocational education program. In view of this it may be maintained that the success or failure of the vocational education movement will depend to a very large degree upon the willingness manifested by superintendents and teachers to abandon or modify old ideas of ministering to the needs of pupils. What the most important administrative problems are has been indicated in another connection. (See "Outstanding Administrative Problems in Part-Time Education," by D. J. MacDonald, in Industrial Arts Magazine, September, 1921.) Let it suffice here to enumerate them and to indicate how they compare with or differ from corresponding administrative problems in the industrial arts field. Some of these problems are: 1. Getting hold of suitable subject-matter, 2. Finding and training satisfactory teachers. 3. Gaining and holding the good will of parents and employers. 4. Arranging satisfactory school programs, and others. According to the testimony of persons who should know, one of the most perplexing problems faced by administrators and teachers in the part-time field, is that of securing and making proper use of suitable subject-matter. And when one recalls that the great majority of part-time pupils as statistics amply prove -left full-time schools either because they did not like the work or because they were anxious to earn some money; also that these same pupils, as a rule, are being forced back into the very schools that a short. time before they were glad to leave when these things are borne in mind, I say-it does not seem strange that difficulties arise in providing subject-matter that will at one and the same time gain the good will of the pupils, increase, where possible, their vocational efficiency, and last, but not least, give them substantial assistance along civic and social lines. Putting the same thought in other words, the administrator of this type of school work faces an entirely different problem, at least in many ways, than the administrator of industrial arts. First of all, it is imperative, as experience proves, that in order to be of real assistance in a vocational way to his pupils, he must see to it that the various occupations represented in his school shall be thoroughly analyzed for the purpose of finding out in what way or ways the school may be of service, either directly or indirectly, to the young employees. He must have in mind, also, that pupils who are employed practically all of their time have entirely different ideas regarding the service a school should perform than have those who have always been in school. Administrators who are in a position to know maintain that the school work must be exceedingly practicable if the part-time pupil's interest is to be gained and held. The fact that these pupils are mixing daily with men of affairs, and, as a consequence, are in touch more or less with those who manage our civic and social affairs, makes it imperative that no small amount of attention should be given to subject-matter of this nature. That is to say, the administrator must plan to capitalize the live experiences of his pupils and see to it that they profit to the greatest possible extent from an intimate study of current civic and social problems. Then he must take into consideration the fact that his pupils are still in the habit-forming stage and that, accordingly, he must minister to them in such a way that they shall learn to place value upon worth-while working habits, as, for example, accuracy, speed, ne itness, loyalty, dependability, taking care of one's body, self-improvement, etc. If we turn now to the industrial arts field, it requires but a moment to see that the administrator here, so far as subject-matter is concerned, faces an entirely different problem. In the first place, since he is dealing almost exclusively with full-time pupils, he does not need to concern himself, except in a very |