The work of teachers training in the land-grant colleges-Continued. Page. Ohio State University.. 69 South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. 75 University of Tennessee. 76 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas.. 77 Agricultural College of Utah.. 78 University of Vermont and State Agricultural College. Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute.. 78 79 State College of Washington. West Virginia University.. University of Wisconsin. University of Wyoming.... 81 82 85 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BUREAU OF EDUCATION, Washington, D. C., October, 1, 1917. SIR: In the amendment to the agricultural appropriation bill approved March 4, 1907, increasing the Federal appropriation for the support of land-grant colleges, it is provided that these colleges may use a portion of this money for the purpose of providing courses for the special preparation of teachers of agriculture and the mechanic arts. From time to time, as the need for teachers with special preparation in these subjects has increased, the Commissioner of Education has urged the land-grant colleges to use for this purpose liberal portions of the funds coming to them through this act-the so-called Nelson amendment. The great increase of interest in vocational education in high schools within the past few years and the still greater interest which will come as the result of the passage of the act for Federal aid to vocational education in schools below college grade will create a demand larger than all our agencies are now able to supply for teachers of agriculture, trades, and industries, and commercial and home economics subjects. The capacity of existing agencies must be increased or new agencies created. It is therefore desirable to know just what is now done by existing agencies. For this reason I have asked Dr. C. D. Jarvis, specialist in agricultural education in this bureau, to prepare an account of what the landgrant colleges are doing to prepare teachers of agriculture, home economics, and trades and industries for the secondary schools, and am transmitting this account herewith for publication as a bulletin of the Bureau of Education. Later I expect to transmit for publication a similar account of what is done in this field by normal schools and colleges. Respectfully submitted. The SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. P. P. CLAXTON, Commissioner. 5 VOCATIONAL TEACHERS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS. WHAT THE LAND-GRANT COLLEGES ARE DOING TO PREPARE THEM. INTRODUCTION. The Nelson amendment to the agricultural appropriation bill, approved March 4, 1907, which increased the Federal appropriation for the support of the land-grant colleges, provides that "said colleges may use a portion of this money for providing courses for the special preparation of instructors for teaching the elements of agriculture and the mechanic arts." This legislation, coupled with the contemporary interest in vocational education, has greatly stimulated the higher institutions of learning in the matter of providing special teacher-training curricula. The movement has been stimulated also by State legislation providing for vocational training in the secondary schools. Another stimulus to the work of training teachers of industrial subjects is found in the recent passage by Congress of the Vocational Education Bill, which is intended "to provide for the promotion of vocational education; to provide for cooperation with the States in the promotion of such education in agriculture and the trades and industries; to provide for cooperation with the States in the preparation of teachers of vocational subjects; and to appropriate money and regulate its expenditure." Education in home economics is included in the provision of the bill covering trades and industries. Since a college training requires four years and since it is difficult to direct students toward a prospective field of service until there is an actual demand for applicants, the institutions in general are about four years behind in providing a supply of teachers of vocational subjects. This condition has resulted in many short-cut methods of training teachers. In many cases college graduates without professional training in education and without teaching experience or practice of any kind have been employed to teach in the secondary schools. In some schools, on the other hand, may be found teachers of agriculture, manual arts, and home economics who have had considerable professional training and adequate experience in teaching but who are decidedly deficient in technical skill and industrial experience. So great is the demand for teachers that certification laws in many instances have been violated or temporarily suspended. |