Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-14
ST. PAUL NEWS.
THE new EDUCATION. "
LECTURE BEFORE THE 81. PAOL
HIGH SCHOOL BY PROF. ID. l..
KTEHLE.
What It Is-How Far 1t Has Progressed
Our Schools-What Are Its Limita-
ttons and Its ReIs' ions to Industrial and
Higher Education.

Last evening Prof. D. L. Kiehle, secre-
tary of the MINI esota board Of education,
delivered very able and interesting lecture
to the pupils of the st. Paul High school
and others, at the new High School hall on
the subject of "The New Education" OF
which the following is a complete synop-
sis:
The speaker remarked that the subject
OF popular education is one which is oe-
cupying the attention of all civilized
countries, and that there is no institution
OF modern times which is held responsible
for greater results. It is therefore of
great advantage that they who do the
work, and the people for whom 1T Is done,
should sustain the most confidential rela-
lions and cultivate perfect freedom IN the
discussion of methods and results. 10 do
this with profit there should be g fair under
standing of the actual condition of our
schools, aud of the theory Of education
which furnishes our ideal. It is the theory
of our education we consider tonight, that
with an understanding of the situation we
may decide whether our system ID radical
ly wrong and deserves oYerturnlng, Or
whether il is immature and defective but
promising we'll with sufficient care.
The civilization of an age comprehends
ali It's social forces in their relation to
each other and thu world. Il includes its
religions, its intelligence, its literature,
modes of communication and travel, 1ts
disposition and tendencies. Every civil
cation transmits itself, introduces the new
generation upon the stage which it is
baa wi
lization that now may be called old, its
education must be old. If, on the other
hand, We have an education which We have
a right to call new, it is only because our
civilization is new. Taking a general
SURVEY OF THE PAST,
we shall not fail to notice the one prom
inent characteristic of fxedness. The
good was that which had been, relations
must continue as they have been. The
idea of development or growth to things
new and better was wholly wanting.
Hence he was wisast who knew most Of
al al at; lie was the best man who va,
mos strict to cust0m and tradition 81 tbs
n.,!. The mind raA { receptacle, the
memory vas tne prominent and all I'm
portaua faculty, and he was tho besa scnol-
ar VIII remembered most accurately ana
fully % tho leest jo5 and title the recorded
wis l0m Of the past. Teachers taught
faeinE eastward toward the authorities
pss1. Lae result Of SUCH education was
Gu absolute anslavement OF the intellect IN
sarVile dependence upon authority. 1t
nude men distrus5 their own experience,
ana fear, rs the wbis pering of evil spirits,
the suggestions Of their own Judgments.
Under This education China and INDIA are
where they wers 5000 years ago. This
spirit reigned in Jerusalem and followed
our CHRISTIAN civilization hundreds Of
wears. Men feared to thirs ald Fsa5on.
Whom the priest warned Calico against
dangerous speculations concerning
the solar system he pointed
his telescope toward Jupiter
and lis satellites and babe him look for
himself, but he dared not, he feared the
temptation of the evil one by such expo
sure OF mis- faith.
1t is quite impossible for Us to conceive
how dead is the life of such an age to all
passing opportunities. Spain is the most
marked example that has brought the
old SO near our own times. The world had
learned from Harvey of the circulation OF
the blood one hundred and fifty years be-
universities. When in It'll officials with
some public spirit proposed to clean the
streets of Madrid, the case was submitted
to the physicians, who forbade 1t bssause
having looked through al. their books
they could find no instances in the past, in
which their ancestors had allowed the
streets to be cleaned, and, what would re-
suit from the experiment, they would mol
answer for.
IN TEE FIFTEENTH CENTURY
began what may be just recognized tht
dawn OF new civilization. In it the human
soul asserts its inalienab!e right to ettair
the full maturity of ell it's powers, and tC
exercise them without restraint in observ
ing, il invention, in discovery, in question
ing, testing or verifying the wisdom of th'
taaen 70 with view to holding fast only
to what is good. The spirit of the age i
progress. lis view of life is that Of de
velopmeHt to the millennium of the future
Ia It's education, mind is not receptacle
nor memory its chief faculty, but powe
to be developed, its faculties to be al
trained in harmony, and III natures or
ders.
If learning was the aim OF the old edu
cation, culture is the characteristic OF tn
n6W-CulturS OI tnS uodA, Nltu 1uC iSsuA'
of intelligence in the power of continuou
attention, close aud discriminating obser
walton, sound reason and good judgment
the culture of the heart with tho results o
moral character, and the culture of tn
body with C. view to its care, and It's use II
the pleasures and industries Of life. Th
earliest provision made by the stat
for the culture of the youth ia in
THE KINDERGARTEN,
the most complete embodiment of tn
principles of the new education. Ia th
common and elementary schools, the sc
lection of studies, the arrangement Of LEI
sons and the methods of instruction al
determined from the stant
point of the learners condition consideriu
what he can GO, and what he ought to d
next. The fundamental doctrine of
THE NEW EDUCATION
is that idsas, as of form. color and SCUM
must come 10 the child's mind, through h
own senses, and cannot be gained
memorizing the words that are but Il
siyas; that Judgments of comparison
rel ltion, as of cause and effect, are on
made By the pupils intelugently apr
bending the conditions aud circumstance
with view to personal and independe