The Importance of Everyday Practical Living in Education

What did Ethel Perrin emphasize in the Detroit public school system?

Was it formalized gymnastics or everyday practical living?

Final answer:

In the Detroit public school system, Ethel Perrin emphasized everyday practical living in informal, coeducational classes, which is an approach to informal education focusing on social behaviors and life skills. This was part of a broader movement during the late 19th and early 20th centuries that recognized the importance of diverse educational experiences including vocational training and life skills.

Explanation:

In the Detroit public school system, Ethel Perrin stressed informal, coeducational classes that emphasized everyday practical living rather than formalized gymnastics. This approach aligns with the idea of informal education, which, unlike formal education that is structured and occurs in an educational institution, refers to the learning of cultural norms, social behaviors, and everyday skills that prepare individuals for life within their community. The programs that focused on this type of education aimed to equip students with the real-world abilities necessary for success beyond the school walls, rather than adhering strictly to academic curricula or physical training.

Between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, American education expanded to include not only academic learning but also vocational and domestic skills training, recognizing the importance of preparing students for a diverse range of roles in an industrial and increasingly complex society. Instructors like Ethel Perrin, therefore, contributed to the broader movement of enculturation, which comprises implicit and explicit instruction in cultural rules of morality and social interaction, often through extracurricular activities.

The diverse curriculum at the time also started to include more notably different programs such as feminist art classes that encouraged personal expression and collaboration over traditional teaching of techniques and art history. This reflected broader societal shifts towards recognition of different learning approaches and the value of a broader educational experience that included practical, vocational, and life skills in addition to traditional academic subjects.