The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-03-21
EDUCATION AND SCHOOLS.

their natural talents or genius, which
could not be depressed, bartl such IA
conclusion overlooks the value to
them Of the practical training they
obtained in their younger days sims,
ply because it did not come to them
in the orthodox way, through the
medium of school boeks.s TIA a.
If, however, we, look closely into
their early lives we shall generally
find that although they may have
been nntaught by the schoolmaster
they have had better education than
he could give them. The necessi-
tics of daily toll at farm - or other
outdoor work have developed a
strong, healthy body, which in the
years to come will be of the highest
value in enabling them while en-
gagged in intellectual work to sustain
servere strains and to do whatever
they undertakeenergetieally andwith
determined purpose. By their COM
munion with, nature they become
observant, and store up vast funds
of information, the basis of scientif-
ic knowledge. Their opportunities
for reading may be few, but they
make the best possible use of the
books that come in their way simply
because their available library is linn
tied. e.
In this way they not only acquire
thoroughly that which they have
read, but establish a habit of
thoughtful reading, that is in itself
of the highest valae. Inthe small
communities where such men usually
/. have their origin. the. debating So
cieties, formal OF informal, about the
country store or in the blacksmith
shop, help to educate the leasoner
and the orator, not by set rule but
by practice. Thus the intelligent
boy with few, il. any, opports4ities
for school education may in fact re-
ceive a better training than bis
brother of the city who, being over
whelmed with book studies,. fails to
develop his natural powers. s,, =.
The differences to be drawn from
this are that schools mag be an m
jury to talented boy, and that the.
self-made or seIf-educated may owe
his distinction, in part at least to
the fact that he escaped the blight
ing Influence of such an education
as saps the strength of the pupil
: gand reprcsses tnes original thought.
I But it should not be inferred that
the school system of instruction
should therefore be abandoned on
ly that it should be improved and
? made q real neip to the natural de-
velopment Of the minds of the pu-
pills. q
The constant tendency of the ped
'agogue is to become mechanical in
his work, to reduce everything to "a
system, and ultimately to get higher
value upon the form than upon the
substance. Generations Or ped
agogues folio ing this tendency de-
velop system in which, words are
of more importance than. things,
and which is better suited to the
sstraining of parTot{ than Of Al nan.
Their ambition to improve their
work and elevate their profession
leads them TO introduce new sdHA lets
of study, overlooking their young
pupils and depriving them Of the
hours for recreation and exercise So
necessary to the preservation of bod
lily health ard strength. % Is .. s.s1ae
The applause of school directors
!. and of parents, TOO, often encourages
the teacher to go on an the wrong
> direction until the sbaekwoodsman
toiling unaided oyer a spelling book
comes 10 have advantages over the
city youth to whom the sdoers of
colleges and libraries are open!
This extreme svieN ofste xiest esl
tate of education, though an exagl
ageration as applied to fmest ssheSls
.of the present daS, pr@s4s I'll eSst
the tendencies Of school systems
which all Yho7sFe engaged in educa-
tional work should resist. The
school is an sartifeis lpcneetipsu md
must be to a large extent arflfcial
in methods of doing work.
1t has in it not only boys of tall
,ent, who, under AySafabIs .e s5S
stances, might develop into great
men, but boys of average ability
and ounces; boys who are eager to
learn, and boys who. are Indifferent
or who refuse to be taught. It;
must accommodate its method of
instruction to all these, and dezalppE
all at approximately the sape fate.s