Perry Township High School - Petonian Yearbook (Perryopolis, PA)

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68 THE PETONIAN GENERAL OBJECTIVES IN EDUCATION Someone has said that An education is the development, by training and experience, of that which is in the individual to the end that his best destiny may be accomplished' If this is true the dominating factor then in our present day education should be to determine what is the best des- tiny of each child in our care. This is a difficult job. Our public schools, however, are solving this problem more and more each year through its many and varied types of training offered. Speaking in broad liberal terms there are but two divisions of educa- tion, general or academic education and technical or vocational education, neither of which in itself meets the demands of society, because society is one word but is made up of many things. All human activities are the result of the demands of society, and these demands are so numerous and varied that business has become highly specialized, Commercial Education used in connection with high school training is the process of equipping the normal youth of high school age who pursues it with such knowledge, power, and skill as he can reasonably be expected to find useful in his immediate endeavor to earn a living in a recognized 'business activity. In high schools of today commercial edu- cation is required to share with general education the responsibility of determining the place and efficiency of the individual in society. Although both forms of education may be pursued at the same time and in varying proportion they must always harmonize. The one ideal or objective should be efficient citizenship. Commercial Education in the generally accepted sense is a strictly vocational process. The Course of Study, its plan, content and method of presentation must take into consideration at least three factors: flj the pupil and his social environment, CZJ the time when he expects to enter business to earn a living and C35 the opportunities or openings and their requirements in his surrounding community. Without these three distinctive factors commercial education has no particular meaning or pur- pose and it stands only for a course of general education. The general aims and objectives in education whether academic or vocational should be to create and develop a spirit or quality in our pu- pils that will make them want the right things and do the right things be- cause it is right, to instill in them the element of will power which will enable them to control themselves, and thus be able to control others, to play the game of business or life fair and according to the rules, and yet play to win. To be honest is a fundamental need in human relations, that service, unsellish service is the biggest thing in life, that youth and oppor- tunity are the greatest assets that one can possess, that the business and professional world is always looking for square, upstanding, manly wom- anly women with initiative, self control and qualities of leadership.

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