THE BOY IN THE PRIMARY GRADES HAD REALLY BEEN USED AS MATERIAL TO BE PREPARED FOR THE GRAMMAR GRADES. UNCONSCIOUSLY HIS TRAINING, SO FAR AS IS IT HAS BEEN VOCATIONAL AT ALL, HAS BEEN IN THE DIRECTION OF CLERICAL WORK. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT BUSINESS MEN, WHOM WE HAVE SO LONG COURTED AND WORSHIPED IN AMERICA, HAVE REALLY BEEN DICTATING THE CURRICULUM OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, IN SPITE OF THE CONVENTIONS OF EDUCATORS AND THE SUGGESTIONS OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS? THE BUSINESS MAN HAS OF COURSE, NOT SAID TO HIMSELF: "I WILL HAVE THE PUBLIC SCHOOL TRAIN OFFICE BOYS AND CLERKS FOR ME, SO THAT I MAY HAVE THEM CHEAP;" BUT HE HAS THOUGHT, AND SOMETIMES SAID: "TEACH THE CHILDREN TO WRITE LEGIBLY, AND TO FIGURE ACCURATELY AND QUICKLY; TO ACQUIRE HABITS OF PUNCTUALITY AND ORDER: AND YOU WILL FIT THEM TO MAKE THEIR WAY IN THE WORLD AS I HAVE MADE MINE."
HAS THE WORKING MAN BEEN SILENT AS TO WHAT HE DESIRES FOR HIS CHILDREN AND ALLOWED THE BUSINESS MAN TO DECIDE FOR HIM THERE AS HE HAS ALLOWED THE POLITICIAN TO MANAGE HIS MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS? OR HAS THE WORKING-MAN SUFFERED FROM OUR UNIVERSAL OPTIMISM, AND REALLY BELIEVED THAT HIS CHILDREN WOULD NEVER NEED TO GO INTO INDUSTRIAL LIFE AT ALL? BUT THAT HIS SONS WOULD ALL BECOME BANKERS AND MERCHANTS?
CERTAIN IT IS THAT NO SUFFICIENT STUDY HAS BEEN MADE OF THE CHILD WHO ENTERS INTO INDUSTRIAL LIFE EARLY, AND REMAINS PERMANENTLY, TO GIVE HIM SOME SET-OFF TO ITS MONOTONY AND DULLNESS -- JANE ADDAMS, address before the N.E.A., July, 1897.
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