CONTINUATION CLASSES.

Bruce Herald, Volume LV, Issue 67, 1 September 1919, Page 4

CONTINUATION CLASSES.

TRAINING- FOR CITIZENSHIP;

1 , Those who have d'evotedJ f niost attention to, the problem of social development, and those who qre especially interested v in,, ; the prospects •of young people, are fagreed! that the' practice of entiling the education ' ;of, the nation's young people at the. 14th year is ' oner that will have to l bcf 'altCTcdii In anost enlightened) countries the alteration has already 'been, determin'edi upon, J and l in some has been put into operation. England, France, and the. United' States, for example, although weighed .down by tho burden's 1 of war, have still had;' sufficient energy and' foresight to lay their plans) for a better training for their, yioungi people. The reason isi twofold: in oiie aspect social, in the other iirdtis- ' trial .or commercial. It has become abuiulaiiitly'. elear that an uneducated democracy is not sound, and) the only way to makei it sound- and) safe is' to secure 'better intellectual andT moral training for its young people. Tho other aspect—the industrial-commercial —is 'based l on fact that experience lias shown that- the l 'best workman is the edlucated' workman —'best for the employer,, ibest for himself, and: 'best for the community/ Best, for the employer because his trained: intelligence and; controlled will-power make- him quick and adaptable - 'best to himself because froifii his improved' education he has gathered other interests and resources that enablo'hinv to sustain 1 the laborious monotony of industrial employment and' still live a" life of varied human interest; best for the community because' he has been taught to realise the. common, interests of niaivk-iiwli and his .developed reasoning powers protect him l from the seductions of false prophets.

'There is some danger that the continuation class will be regarded'.as chief? ly vocational or technical, and that in the curricula of these classes industrial or technical training will '-usurp too much of the field at the expense of the cultural training which- is l to prepare Crar future' ' f 'masters'' to rule. To crowd out the training for citizenship and to glorify; the narrow vocational aspect is to accentuate class divisions and prepare the way for future class war. Further, not every boy or girl isi destined for a trade' or a profession, but every iboy aii'd every girl is destined to be -a. citizen. They cannot bear their part's as citizens unless they are adequately educated in- the direction of developing •the civic interest, the sen-se of duty, and moral obligation, that a broad cultural education; •will foster. The senior cadet course that has 'lately been 1 prescribed will do something, but- not nearly enough:, in the right direction* for the growing young, men!;- but- the girls do not- share* in-it. There is-no substitute for the continuation class, whielKwill acknowledge no sex bar; and it is urgent that- the reform be put in! operation without delay: