August 18, 2019 Sunday
Bedtime Story
Eliot Saw the Link Between Education and Industry
Charles William Eliot wrote:
“In our generation I hardly expect to see
the institutions founded which have produced such results in Europe, and after
they are established they do not begin to tell upon the national industries for
ten or twenty years.
The Puritans thought that they must have
trained ministers for the Church and they supported Harvard College – when the
American people are convinced that they require more competent chemists,
artists, architects, that they now have, they will somehow establish the
institutions to train them.
In the meantime, freedom and the American
spirit of enterprise will do much for us, as in the past.”
Eliot as he traveled across Europe and had
begun to get a more deeper understanding of the education and the European
societies he began to be more convinced than ever before that education along
with scientific temperament and scientific techniques are indispensable for the
growth and success of commerce and industry of a nation.
He was not in love with science because it satisfied
the quest for reality of nature and answered the fundamental questions but for
its sheer practical applications which would greatly enhance the quality of
living.
Science to him was an indispensable tool
whose time had come to be applied to every aspect of society but starting its
inculcation right from the early education that ought to percolate then to all
levels of the system.
He understood from his European tour that
science with its technologies was greatly capable of enhancing the output of
industries and commerce something that is today taken for granted and all the
governments – even the Islamic and Hindu ones – make science and mathematics
mandatory in the syllabi of schooling children.
Even as he was traveling in Europe he got a
job offer from Merrimack Company which was then among the largest textile mills
of the United States.
He was being offered an enormous salary of
$5000 that would be accompanied with a house absolutely free of rent.
Eliot pondered greatly over this lucrative
offer – he really did not have too many career options but for the fact that he
was born to a wealthy family - that was extremely tempting but rejected it.
By now, for whatever reasons it may be, he
seemed to have developed a confidence that he inherently had a capacity to be
an inspiring administrator and strong organizer.
He knew that if he were to accept the offer
and join the Merrimack Company he in all likelihood would rise to the top and
become its chief executive officer but that would limit his self-believed talent
to merely one company.
Eliot wanted to be ranked among men who would
be seen by the future generations who had changed the American destiny by
revolutionizing the link between knowledge and education on one hand and
commerce and industry on the other hand.
Most of you might not be aware that during
the nineteenth century and even after the American Civil War the American
education and therefore the colleges were in the hands of clergymen.
Stay tuned to the voice of an
average story storytelling chimpanzee or login at http://panarrans.blogspot.com
Good night Mon Ami and my fellow cousin ape.
Advertisements
Another great educator and a teacher that I am aware of is
Professor Subhashish Chattopadhyay in Bangalore, India.
While I narrate stories, Professor Subhashish an electronic
engineer and a former professor at BARC, does and teaches real mathematics and
physics.
He started the participation of Indian students at the
International Physics Olympiad.
Do visit him here:
All his books can be downloaded for free through this link:
For edutainment and English education of your children, I
recommend this large collection of Halloween Songs for Kids:
No comments:
Post a Comment