Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1889-11-07
Value Of School Discipline.

cational truths we have always
greatly admired his address on the
relation Of school discirlin" to moral
education, and give place to por-
ton of it.-EDlToRs.
The pillars on which public school
education rcSt are BEHAVIOR or de-
pertinent, and SCHOLARSHIP. The
first requisite of the school is order :.
each pupil must bc taught first and
foremost to conform his behavior to
a general standard. Only thus can
the school as a community exist and
fulfil its functions. In the outset,
therefore, a whole family of virtues
are taught the pupil, and these are
taught SO thoroughly, and so con-
stantly enforced, that they become
fixed in his character The method
of this moral training is, like that
which rules everywhere in the prac-
tical world, one Of division and rcpc-
tition. The duty of being we'll
behaved pupil is not vague gcncr-
ality. 1t divides into specific, we'll
defined duties.
(D pWct"oliW: This stands
first. The pupil must be at school
in time. Sleep, meals, play, bust
ness, indispostion--all must give
way to the duty Of obedience to the
external requirement of time.
Punctuality does not end with get
ting to school. While in school it is
OF equal Importance. Combination
cannot he achieved without it. The
pupil must have his lessons ready ut
the appointed time, must rise at the
tap of the bell, move to the line, re-
turn; in short, go through all the
rvolutions with equal precision.
(2l H"g"Iority is punctuality re-
duccd to Il system. Conformity to
the requirements of time in partic-
ular instance is punctuallty; made
general it becomes regularity.
But the school makes these duties
the ground and means of higher du-
ties. Thcy are indispensable, but
no ultmatum. They render posi-
bic higher spiritual culture. Tho
quick and prompt obedience of the
pupil in simple mechanical training
renders the child pcnctrablc, and &C.
crssiblc TO lessons OF higher import
70 this end the discipline extends to
caliSthcnicS; the pupil is taught to
sacrifice his arbitrary control ovcl
his body, and to combine regularly
and punctually with others in imitat,
ing prescribed bodily gestures or ex-
crciscs. Thus his sense of rhythm--
or regular combination with others
is further developed. Through this
becomes possible the training to gene.
raj habits of proper position for sit,
ting and standing, proper modes of
speaking, addressing othcrs--in gen.
cral, the formalilics Of polite inter
course. The highest discipline under
the head OF rhs TIM is reached in vo.
cal music. This prcsupposcs in tho
highest degree the training in punct.
ual and regular habits, and a con.
scio'ls participation in the result is
reached by the pupil through his en-
joymcnt Of the harmony he assists il
producing. Herein vocal music
the external, mechanical, aspect OF
discipline SoftcnS, and Il response tt
it is felt in the deepest inner being
OF the soul--thc domain of feeling
This brings us to th" n"xt STEP Ii
school discipline.
(3) .SH,I,cc is the basis for the cul.
turc OF intcrnality or rctlcction-.tht
soil in which thought grows. We
become silent when we would think
The pupil is therefore taught habit:
OF silence to restrain his nat,lra
animal impulse to pratc and chatter
or to excite attention by his occupa
ton on the material world aroun(
him. All ascent above natural be-
ing arises through his ability to hole
! back .hy mind from uttcrancc of tn,
immediate impulse, and to correct
its oncSidcdnrSs 10y combination anl
generalization. The largest comb
nation and widest generalization i.
the deepest and trucSt. Thus silence
in the schooI-room has a two-fold
| significance. II is necessary to the
| attainment OF combination will
others, and besides this, it is direct
discipline in the art of combining
the dil'fuScl and feeble efforts of the
pupil himself. He begins his career
with mental distraction, everything
isnla.cd in his mind, and learns tc
connect the scattered phases, classif,
and arrange them, and thus to gen.