266 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF EDUCATION. 
ficient. When parents leave their children at school until they reach four- 
seen years of age, manual work or scientific notions necessary to agricul- 
ture and gardening are most useful, for it is between twelve and fourteen 
chat the children show a great fondness for those active occupations, and are 
capable of making some real progress in them ; and, besides, it is a critical 
ge, a turning point in life, when they are likely to choose their avocation, 
and a well-ordained course in manual or agricultural work may have a very 
decisive influence over their destiny. In conclusion : Whilst it would be 
very advisable to simplify the programme and to lighten the burden of work 
both for the pupil and the teacher, yet it is to be wished that none of 
chose essential subjects should be left out ; but if the teacher is really 
competent, carefully trained, so as to bring in harmoniously those different 
branches within the school curriculum ; and if governments, states, cities, 
or generous donators may grant the necessary apparatus, school museums, 
specimens, workshop fittings, tools, ete., it 1s possible and even advan- 
tageous to include in the school curriculum all the above said branches, 
and none of them may be considered as useless ballast to be thrown 
yverboard. 
WHAT SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE ESSENTIAL BRANCHES 
OF THE ELEMENTARY COURSE OF STUDY TO MEET 
THE INDUSTRIAL NEEDS OF THE LOCALITIES? 
BY PROFESSOR C. M. WOODWARD, OF WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, 
ST. LOUIS. MO. 
MY first answer is: Very little, or nothing, should be added, at least in 
America, for the reasons stated. Elementary education should always be 
broad and general—non-professional, non-occupational—and hence there 
is no sufficient reason for the addition of local elements. My position being 
assentially a negative one, it would be better, perhaps, for me to wait till I 
hear some good arguments in favor of adding something to elementary 
schools to meet the demands of local industries. One easily finds such 
arguments in Europe, but not in America. 
Elementary education extends through the fifteenth year. I have no 
doubt but that in many European communities a large per cent. of the 
»oys thirteen and fourteen years old, who are at school at all, receive 
special instruction in local industries. That is to say, the schools for 
soys of thirteen and fourteen are, to a certain extent, trade-schools. The 
schools of weaving, dyeing, paper-work, leather-work, lace-work, glass- 
work, toy-work, and light metal-work, fostered by the government, train 
the local children directly for local industries. They often begin earlier 
‘han the thirteenth year. 
There are many reasons for such instruction abroad, and such trade-