Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-03-27
The Coming School,

OPInlons on educational Topics by Educa-
tors and Teachers in all Sections
of the Country.
The Coming School.
The future can be predicted only
from the progressions of the past and
the visible tendencies of the present.
The history of educational thought
furnishes US all the foundation princi.
pies for the coming school, anC all
possible educational ideals to choose or
build our own from. 1t also yields us
examples. in abundance. of bad OIL
good methods, or short-lived and en-
during institutions. It has given US,
in Froebel's work. the beginnings of a
philosophical training by the state; in
Pestalozzi's, some splendid suggestions
for the next stage of public education;
in the work of specialists, the means of
Systematically continuing the subjects
commencing in the course of previous
Undertaking; in the schools of Athens
types of the final processes in general
schooling; in the professional and trade
schools of later times, a means of
special training for pursuits. This COM
pletes an ideal course of study. 1t is
arranged as follows:
1. The kindergarten, providing a
comprehensive rudimentary training
for all the elements of character.
2. The primary school, continuing
this training; establishing clear con-
cepts of all familiar objects; exercising
the more complex mental powers; con-
Meeting related things in memory; fix
ing habits of study, and teaching the
three RS"
8. The secondary school, gathering
correlated facts into their several de-
partments of science; cultivating the
special gifts of Individuals; teaching,
with each science and art, the literature
that belongs toit; necessarily conducted
by specialists.
4. The tertiary school. for the deeper
udy of the classics, arts, and sciences,
ad the higher cultivation of the
logical, critical and rhetorical powers.
5. The special school, in which some
ton shall be thoroughly learned.
If it is true that the whole boy goes
to school, moral and manual training
must accompany mental training in all
schools. If it is true that the mind is
unit the same conclusion follows. If
it is true that we act from motives,
moral training is school necessity. If
it is true that all knowledge is related,
all the powers through which knowl-
edge is acquired must work together.
The educational thought of the
present is developing true notion of
the Importance in mental growth of
the individual concrete concept. 1t
occupies a central place in thought be-
ing the product of sense-action and the
basis of mind-action. 1t can safely be-
come our next fetch, since of such are
the stepping-stones to even true pro-
gress. In its worship the teacher need
not lose sight of anything good, for all
lines of growth lead to it or from it.
Even physical exercise, manual train
ing, and ethical culture may be includ-
ed in the processes of concept building,
which is the chief legitimate work of
the primary school.
The most formidable obstruction in
the way of the coming school is our
habit of placing young and inexperi-
enced teachers in charge of primary
classes, where breadth of thought,
defniteness of plan, and skill in execu-
ton are infinitely more needed than in
the subsequent work. To make ones
self thorough in a single branch of
study, with sufficient general intelli-
gence to see and show the dependence
of that branch upon others, is the task
of the specialist in the secondary school
propos d. 1t is indeed difficult task,
requiring the patience and devotion of
genius. But most every human being
has a natural genius for some one
thing; and. given the requisite training,
there would be no lack of specialist
teachers. Far higher in the scale of
genius is his who can. while planning
a days work for little child, have and
hold in view the whole of that childs
character and destiny; and, if to plan
is easier than to fulfill, what shall be
said Of the skill that shall faithfully
carry out in daily, hourly detail aims
SO broad and deep and high?
With inexperienced young girls in
our lower classes, it is quite impossible
to conduct education in accordance
with any known law. Even in the
higher classes, under the tuition of
competent teachers, true principle can
not be applied, because there is no
foundation, or very poor one, unless
the pupil has received some training at
home. This is the secret of the cram
so complained of. To continue the
practice of placing the weakest teach
ers where the strongest are needed is
the greatest pedagogical error of our
day.-Journat of Education.