, 1881-04-24
THE NEW PROBLEM IN EDUCATION

| SAYS modern author whose fame Is not
quail to lis deserts, Tie bright, capable
| human being born into the world in these
United States is our most valuable resource -
| The vital question Of the hour Is, DO We in
| our educational system develop 10 its utmos:
this most valuable resource? Our common
school system is two hundred and fifty years
old. Ii came in with the Puritaus. It is 4
Yankee notion, and 1t Inns made the Yankee
the dominating force in American affairs.
There was a tierce struggle between Yankee
ideas and the ideas OF tho Soutllron, who
denied the proposition that 1t ii the duty
OF the State to develop the brain Ut every
bright, capable human being born into the
world to its utmost capacity. But the
struggle is over and the Yankee is victor!
Shall we stop here? Shall we rest content
with all educational system which has pre-
vailed over sclni-barbaruus social system
h:mpe1ed .and degraded By the curse of
human slavery? Or shall We improve our
methods Of education rs tho stock-raiscr i'm
proves his cattle and horses TO meet the
eyer-growing demand for butter beef in the
shanalcs and greater speed OIL tile race
course? II the stock-raistr cnn afford to be
at great expense to breed and rear fine horses,
it would seem that the State may afford to
be at great. expense to educate and
train @bri.ht, capable" boys amt girls.
True, the State IL at great expense in tho
matter of educating children. But under
the present system It only half e.lucates. 1t
trains the brain, but does scarcely anything
for either The eye or the hand. We might
f1t- fro,,, t3,o II T..
to fight, to llrnt, and TO fish, and in thcse
arts the brain, tile hand, anu the eye are cdll-
Gated simultaneously. lie is first given Oh
ject lessons, as the pupil is taught III the kiu-
dcrgarten Then the tomatawk, the spear,
and the bow and arrow are placed i'll his
hands, and he fights for his life, or fishes or
hunts for his dinner. The young Indian il
taught all that it is necessary for him to
know, and he is educated, practically, in the
sarage's. three wOrks!lopS,-tlie battlefield,
the forest anil plain, the sea and lake. Thus
the young savage enters upon the duties of
life with I'LL exact practical knowledge Of
them. lie has not been taught n theory
about fighting; lie has actually used the
weapons of warfare. lie has not studied tho
art Ut fishing and hunting; lie has handled |
the spear and the bow and arrnw, and their |
actual use is Us familiar to hin as the multi
picatiol1 table is to the boy i'll the public |
school. 10 the savage there is but one age, |
the age OF oiflEhtins., fishing, and hunting But
to civilized man there Is all endless progress |
sion OF aGeS,-tflat is to say, periotls Of great
discoveries in science which require tho
special adaptation Of new means 10 new ends
1t is certain, then, that this same educational
system will not fit Ill ages OF the civilized |
man as 1t Its the single age Of the savage.
When labor was only another name for 4
slate OIL slavery, to teach nlcn to labor skill
fully was merely to raise them to a little
higher grade Of scryitude.,. Hence it Is o,:!y
1T very recent period that it has occurred to
to teach skilled laborin tlie schools.
All educational systems, our own among the
rest, seem to he Intended to mak8 lawyers,
1octors, priests. statesmen, littGrateurs, poets,
bl1t this IS the iron age, the age of machines
mi machinery. Tremendous forces in Nat
ire have been discovered and utilized; and
nese discoveries and their utilization have so
multiplied vast enterprises that the impor-
ance Of the more ornamental branches of
earning is dwarfed in their presence, This
5 1he practical age. and an educational sys-
EN- which IS not practical Is nothing. We
nan stu lave our TenrySons, and our Long,
anu ollrdoctors Of abstract philosophy.
ut there Is little time to sentilucntalize with
lie poets or speculate with the philosophers.
here Is work to do. The mine is to be ex-
']ored and its treasures brought to the
uf1ace; more and more powerful machines ;
re to DC constructed to bear the burdens of ,
olnmerce; new elements Ut force are to be