far from obvious whether it is any part of the work of the school to train the child for his vocation. Is education to be "vocational" or "general"? Is it to be "technical" or "cultural"? This is one of the most hotly disputed questions in the educational world of to-day. Within recent years many educators have advocated the introduction of vocational studies into the ordinary school curriculum, on the ground that they render school work more real and living, secure a more intense interest on the part of the child, and make the school a more useful institution.
Into the general merits of the controversy it is impossible to enter in any detail; but attention must be drawn to one or two matters of fundamental importance.
First, we must point out that it is misleading to discuss whether education should be general or vocational. The child is destined to live his life in performing the duties and enjoying the rights of his vocation; and in a very real sense all education must be vocational. All education must be directed to help the child to fulfil his vocation with the most satisfaction to himself and the greatest advantage to the community. But it is a real question whether education should be general or occupational. "Occupational" and "vocational" are not synonymous. A man's real vocation in life may be very much wider than his occupation. Or he may have two or more occupations, though he can have only one real vocation. All women certainly have vocations to fulfil, but comparatively few of them fulfil these vocations in any particular trade or profession. It
