Some phases of educational progress in Latin AmericaMontgomery, Walter A. (Walter Alexander)
History
Some phases of educational progress in Latin America
Montgomery, Walter A. (Walter Alexander)
Education -- Latin America
Plans are already under way by the executive council of the University
of Buenos Aires for the celebration of the first centenary of its
foundation, which will occur in October, 1921. Invitations have been
extended to the institutions of higher education in all countries of
the world to designate and send representatives. Though the actual
building of the ancient colegio nacional, in which the university began
its operation, has been materially changed, yet the present building
occupies the same site, and it has been decided to hold the centennial
celebration in it.
Of interest is the projected foundation of a popular university at
Buenos Aires, constituted along industrial lines and frankly designed
to counteract the technical and industrial influence of North American
universities in South American countries.
A survey of educational progress in Argentina may fittingly conclude
with mention of the annual American Congress of Education and
Commercial Extension, held in Montevideo in January, 1919, in which
representatives of all the Latin-American countries participated, and
those of Argentina, from her economic and educational leadership, were
most prominent. The proceedings of the congress will be discussed in
the chapter on Uruguay.
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN BRAZIL.
Educational activity in Brazil has been most marked in the field of
vocational education. A special commission, appointed by the Director
General of Public Instruction, consisting of five experienced teachers
in subjects of this nature, was instructed to formulate courses for
the State schools which were to be established by law in the Federal
District. They were to serve as models for subsequent schools of the
same character in the several States and Territories. The commission,
of which Senhor Coryntho da Fonseca was the spokesman, after several
months of conference and personal visits of inspection to the
vocational schools already existent in the several centers, especially
in Sao Paulo, and after hearing reports from active teachers in the
subjects, presented its report in March, 1919. It was approved by
the Vice President, serving ad interim for the President, and was
recommended by him to be put into actual operation pending its formal
enactment into law by the Congress.
The report as finally presented rested upon four main considerations:
1. The State, in the field of instruction, has primarily an educational
function and only secondarily a vocational one. Courses in shop
training, designed to awake and develop an aptitude in the pupil for a
particular industry, must of course enter into any well-rounded scheme
of education. This in turn must be designed to promote a general and
not a specialized technical education which will introduce both sexes
to industrial and commercial life. For practical reasons of expense, if
for no other, the State should not be expected to prepare pupils for
specialized vocations.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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