A Candidate’s Philosophy on Education
W. D. Gillen, candidate for county school superintendent, argues that manual training and domestic science must not eclipse core academics.
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W. D. Gillen, a pleasant young man with the appearance and address of a smart one, was in to see us last week to announce his candidacy for county superintendent of schools. He taught at Burara, Marriott, and has been principal of one of the Bellingham schools. He is a graduate of the Iowa State College. Regarding his platform, Gillen expressed concern about the trend toward vocational schooling: 'In one country school which has been greatly complimented for its manual training, I learn that not 50 per cent of the eighth grade pupils passed in ordinary studies. I know manual training and domestic science are popular now, but they have not found their accepted places in the school course as yet. There is no question about their value in our public schools if done systematically, but if they have failed to learn the common branches that they were sent to school to learn, then a mistake has been made.'
“I know manual training and domestic science are popular now, but they have not found their accepted places in the school course as yet and like sports may be carried to excess.”
Gillen’s 1910 critique of vocational versus academic focus mirrors contemporary debates in Washington State over the role of public schools in preparing students for a changing workforce. His warning that 'fads' in education must not come at the cost of foundational literacy and numeracy remains a perennial tension in local school board races.
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