Education

The Board of Directors has authorized the appointment of a committee on education, in accordance with the sentiment expressed at the Niagara Falls Convention. This is the outcome of a feeling that engineering education should profit by closer relations with experienced engineers, who are able and willing to cooperate with the colleges in their efforts to attain the best possible results. Discussions at various conventions have shown that this is feasible, and as representatives of many technical schools who are members of the Institute have attended these gatherings, no doubt some of the ideas brought out have already been put in practice. It appears quite possible that a similar movement might be beneficial in considering the relations between the common schools and the general public. There is a well-founded impression that graduates from all schools are lacking in elementary principles which should be thoroughly grasped before the student enters upon his life work. A few years ago a system of vertical handwriting was introduced in several states, and no serious objection raised against it until business experience demonstrated that it was not suitable for commercial purposes. It was too slow, it lacked individuality, and did not harmonize with existing practice. Possibly if no other style had existed, there would have been no objection to it, but in at least some cases the innovation was abandoned. Possibly too much is expected of teachers. The character of the raw material which they are expected to mould, is frequently beyond the capacity of human effort.