FOURTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VIII. 595 



on their tongues, but incapable of putting their knowledge into work 

 is rapidly giving place to a system more practical in its teaching. 



One of the greatest objections to the college trained men in past 

 years Tias b-een the fact that they are not fitted to take their place in this 

 busy workaday world. The same tendency has prevailed in our public 

 schools, with the result that the pupils are not able to grasp the ab- 

 stract truths taught, and consequently drop out of school at an early 

 age. Certain it is that something must be radically wrong with an edu- 

 cation of this kind. Men have been quick to see the deficiency, but it 

 has 'taken some time to see the remedy. Now. a change is slowly but 

 surely taking place and me abstract method of teaching is giving place 

 to one in which the studies are related to the life of the pupil. As a 

 result, agricultural colleges, technical and manual training schools have 

 sprung up all over our fair country, but the end is not yet. These schools 

 train their pupils not only in such studies as tend towards a cultured 

 intellect and a broader knowledge but in the work of their hands. They 

 are taught to express their thoughts in their work and when they are 

 through with their course they are ready to do something. 



"The object of all education is to prepare men and women for the 

 duties and pleasures of life. If a purely intellectual training secured 

 these ends, there would be no need to ask for technical training, but it 

 does not. In all countries the great majority of the people must labor 

 with thein hands as well as brains, and when the training of hand and 

 brain goes together the result will be most satisfactory." 



Mr. C. M. Woodward says: "Our students must come out of school with 

 elements of high character, with vigorous, healthy body and mind, able 

 to put both hand and brain to work. Practical accomplishments are es- 

 sential to a good education, although not the whole of it." 



But the subject in which we are interested is the education of our 

 girls and the part they are to play in this new education. The manual 

 training which is given to girls at the present consists almost exclusively 

 of cooking and sewing. It has taken many years to overcome the objec- 

 tions which have been raised when the question of adding these branches, 

 as well as other forms of manual training, to the course in our public 

 scho'ols. The school boards have been slow to accept the new 

 order of things and this is as it should be — the school life of the young 

 people is too precious to be wasted in experiments that have not been 

 carefully thought and worked out. But when these boards are convinced 

 that a special branch of manual 'training is for the good of the pupil and 

 for the public, an(i can be introduced into the schools without detriment 

 to the usual studies, they have done their part. 



Two of the strongest objections which have been offered to this kind 

 of work are: First, there is no time in the already crowded course for 

 these studies and second, that it would lower the standard of intellectual 

 education. 



Let us consider these questions and see if they can be met. The 

 first question which naturally arises when this subject is brought up is, 

 "Are there not already too many studies in our public school courses? 

 If domestic science is better than something else in the course and will 



