EDUCATION UNDER FIRE

A Canadian division has encouraged the education of soldiers by establishing a university in France. Men will receive training in varied subjects so that they can be certain of occupation upon their return home. Although it may seem strange for part of an army to spend time at classes, yet many troops either in billets during their turn out of the trenches, or else recovering from wounds, have considerable opportunity To provide a practical education for all soldiers it can reach is the aim of the school.

Such a move will be most beneficial. In the first place, almost all the fighters have seriously endangered their prospects of success in business. Time which would otherwise have been spent in practising some trade or profession and in keeping ahead of some rival has been used for a nobler cause. The veteran is not only likely to be losing his position, but also to forget those fine bits of knowledge on which he relied for advancement. In the second place, foreign armies include many men taken from the middle of their college career. Boys who have not even completed a preparatory school course are often old enough to fight. Although some may take up their work where they left it, yet others must consider their education finished. Such soldiers will profit most from the university. Whether they return to studies or not, their future welfare often depends on their continuing, or at least, not forgetting their mental training.