If a boy disliked Latin or history and could not come up to the
teacher’s idea of the interest he should have in these studies, he was
too often considered lazy or stupid. If that boy was interested in
mechanical drawing and happy in such work, no matter, he MUST do his
Latin, and disliking it, he, of course, neglected it.
This line of treatment went on throughout the boy’s school-life if he
attended a public school, and generally he left disgusted and untrained
for anything. Then he found there was really no place for him in the
world, nothing but some small clerkships or other uncongenial work,
and being continually dissatisfied, of course, never made a success in
anything――just a living. As he grew older such a youth soon dropped
into habits of drinking, or worse habits, worked like a machine day in
and day out, not much caring how things went, so long as he received
his weekly pay envelope.
The thousands of men of this kind with whom I have talked, were
discouraged from the start. As boys they were always blamed for being
useless, when, in fact no efforts had ever been made to make them
useful.
With you boys of the present day all this is to be different. Every one
of you can now find education and training in what you are fitted to
do. Ideas are rapidly changing, as are methods. You are aware by this
time that vocational schools are being rapidly established, and I hope
to soon see the day when all academic high schools are retained only
for those who are going to college and from there to the professional
schools. Of course you should all go to a high school, but to a high
school where the foundation for some practical vocation, trade or
business career is thoroughly taught.
I am frequently asked by young men, “Do you advise me to go to
college?” The answer is easily understood when I say: “Never be SENT
to college.” Here is where much of the harm has been done――the boy has
been sent to college when in reality he WANTED, or needed, to go to
some institution where his particular talents could be trained. For we
each and every one are born with SOME particular talent, something in
us which makes us able to do a certain thing better than the other man.
If we were all equal in the matters of thinking and doing,――that is, if
we all did the same thing,――how far would the world progress?
So this brings us down to the question, what is the basis for success?
What is it the boy needs to progress every day in the trade or vocation
he has chosen?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account