St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-28
EDUCATIONAL ERRORS.


Many subjects of interest in connec-
ton with our educational system have
been discussed by the teachers and
school superintendent during the ses-
sion of their convention in this city the
last two days, and those who have fol-
lowed their proceedings have gained
much valuable information. 1t occurs
to us, however, that the friends Of pop
ular education are now, and have al
ways been, too much dependent on the
force of legislative enactments to bring
the public school system up to a state OF
perfection. The design. of the school
law is to build up school system equal
to the education of all the youth OF the
state, and yet this design cannot be ac-
complished by combining ourselves to a
mere mechanical performance of those
things set forth in statute. Statutory
law at best can do little more than pre-
scribe negative duties performance it
can compel but in a very limited class
of actions, and Its chief force is in pro-
hibition. Statutes must speak in gen
eral terms, and address themselves,
not to one or to a few, but
to all. They give, or can give,
no suggestion of either morality,
justice or good feeling, and they act
mainly by way of restriction upon some
of the tendencies of mankind. Statu-
tory law amounts to little more than
restraint upon the actions of individ-
ualS, and that upon very limited num-
Der of their acts, and possibly point out
a formal execution of a few others.
This idea is fundamental to the whole
SuperStructure Of statute laws, fer it is
only in very small and insignificant
part of the domain of human nature that
law can be applied.
Hence we see the fallacy of depend
ing entirely upon legislative enact
ments for the perfection of our school
system. The work depends rather upon
the individual effort of the teacher and
the school officer in their execution of
the principles of the great unwritten
with the finger of God on the heart OF
man." The school room is little do
main into which enter the same abstract
and practical questions which enter into
every form of human government. 1t is
just as impossible to fix one unalterable
rule for the successful government of
the school room, as it is to command
course of human action by the instru-
mentality OF written laws.
We have made the mistake in our edu-
cational system of repressing the in
dividuality of the teacher, and in cor
responding degree depressing the in
dividuality of the pupil by excessive
legislation. The teachers want more
elbow room. They want TO be relieved
of the automatic conditions which the
laws impose upon them. Then again
there is another fatal defect that we
want to remedy. The one great false
doctrine underlying our whole educa-
tional system, the one which gives birth
to so many others, and one with which
the vastly preponderating portion of our
population are indoctrinated, and cur
laws made to conform to-is a belief in
the Inherent equality of man. The
great truth that mankind are unequal
and dissimilar-SO made like all things
else by the natural laws producing and
governing them, and wisely predestined
by these immutable laws ever to occupy
different relations to each, appears to
have been wholly ignored by modern
educators and political economists. The
result of building the system on this
false foundation is that the pupils in the
public schools are gathered together
like cattle in barn, the same provender
being dealt out to all alike, and in equal
quantity, without any regard to the diff
ferenceS in the brain power of the
pupils or of their different capacities for
mental digestion.
Our school system can never obtain
perfection until the teacher is granted
more latitude in the government of the
school room, and is permitted to use
more discrimination in the training and
education Of children. The best the law
can do is to erect a finger board here
and there, and leave to those engaged
in educational work the duty of supply
ing the motive power and directing the
course OF the journey. Human govern
ment cannot be reduced TO geOmetrical
eXactneSs, for form and method will do
only for things of form and method.
Hence, those to whom is committed the
government of our school system must
be left free to study the secret forces of
nature. and apply the principles thus
gathered to the government of their pc
culiar domain.