1917] EDITOEIAL. 705 



As its head there is provided a Federal Board for Vocational Edu- 

 cation. This board is to consist of seven members, including the 

 Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, and Labor, and the U. S. 

 Commissioner of Education, ex officio, with three members to be 

 appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, ultimately 

 for terms of three years each. One of the appointed members is to 

 be a representative of the manufacturing and commercial interests, 

 one of the agricultural interests, and the third of those of labor. The 

 board is to select its own chairman each year. 



The Federal Board is charged with the administration of the act, 

 the details as to the care of funds, the certifying of the States, etc. 

 in general plan resembling the legislation for the agricultural col- 

 leges and experiment stations. In addition it is empowered to make, 

 or have made, investigations and reports to aid the States in the 

 establishment of vocational schools and classes and in giving instruc- 

 tion in agriculture, the trades and industries, commerce and com- 

 mercial pursuits, and home economics. These studies are to include 

 agriculture and agi'icultural processes and the requirement upon 

 agricultural workers, similar studies as regards the trades, industries, 

 and commerce, home management, domestic science and the study 

 of related foods, and the principles and problems of administration 

 of vocational schools and of courses of study and instruction in 

 vocational subjects. In the discretion of the board, the studies con- 

 cerning agriculture may be made in cooperation with or through the 

 Department of Agriculture. Similar cooperative arrangements may 

 be made with the Departments of Labor and Commerce for indus- 

 trial subjects, while the studies of the administration of vocational 

 schools, curricula, and methods of instruction in vocational subjects 

 may be taken up in cooperation with or through the Bureau of 

 Education. An appropriation of $200,000 per annum, available from 

 the date of passage of the act, is made to the board for its expenses. 



To cooperate with the Federal Board in carrying out the act, each 

 State when accepting its provisions is to designate a state board of 

 at least three members. The state board of education or some board 

 having charge of the administration of public education or of any 

 kind of vocational education may be designated as the state board, 

 or an entirely new board may be created. 



The state board is to prepare plans for the approval of the Federal 

 Board, showing the details of the work for which it is expected to 

 use the appropriations. These plans, it is specified, must show the 

 lands of vocational education contemplated, the kinds of schools and 

 equipment, courses of study, methods of instruction, and the qualifi- 

 cations and the plans for the training of the teachers and agricultural 

 supervisors. In all cases the work must be conducted under public 

 supervision and control. 



