The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-07-24
should be no less sensibly felt in the low
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should be no less sensibly felt in the low
er than in the higher grades of schools.
There are many teachers in this county
who lift their pupils from the level of
shallow pretense by insisting upon the
full measure of INTEL ectual effort, and
who open avenues of truthfulness by
pruning the outcroppings of deceit; for
the child is guilty of deception when he
pretends to know what he has not learned.
Let no man say his morals are not fixed
by his daily practice or that the habits
of his childhood do not govern his daily
life. Much less let HIM say that any sys-
tenn of education which tolerates dis
honesty in mental effort on the part of
the child will mould a character which
will adorn his adult life. The child
is building his character with every
conscious act of his. When he learns
words which have no meaning to
him he is attaining proficiency in hypo-
crisy; when he pretends to know what he
does not he lies to himself, to whom only
the most depraved are untruthful; when
he partially performs a task which is no
beyond his strength and time to complete,
he is guilty of theft. What moral teach
ing can mitigate the evil inevitable in
such a course of training? The teacher
is innocent of any Intentional wrong, but
in bestowing little knowledge she has
done incalculable harm. Truly, little
learning is dangerous thing.
Now turn to the work of the competent
teacher:sThe thought precedes the words
therefore they are truthful. Pretense is
at once laid bare and its exposed deform-
ity disgusts the child. The incomplete
task is pronounced a failure and there is
no escaping tho obligation. The spoken
word is always stamped with truth and
thought becomes honest that the spoken
word may be. No morality in this teach
ing? Let the completed product be the
answer.
If in this report 'the reader may sus-
pect me, as ] suspect myself of having
come to the defense Of the public school
against thu charge of immortality, 1 can
only plead in extenuation that the times
demand it. The province OF the public
school is to educate and education in
cludes morality. Having spent all my
life in more or less intimate relations
with public schools-a connection now
nearing its CLOSET may be pardoned for
assuming to know something of the pur-
pose and spirit of the public school. That
the purpose is not fully realized is due to
the infirmity from which nothing within
our limited realm of knowledge is exempt.
But if there is anything of public char
acter which the people should hold more
sacred, guard more jealousy or defend
more determinedly, have failed to dis
cover it. There is no person to whom
the public owes more than to the teacher
of the school at the country cross roads
He Is poor; you have kept him so. He is
not influential: his duties forbade it. He
is anxious to change his occupation; his
necessities drive him to it. He is not
always equal to the proper discharge Of
his duties; your parsimony invited him
there. He is slightingly referred to; his
defenscless condition is responsible. But
he has done more for your children than
Won have done yourselves. Wipe out bis
work and notice the vacuum. created. Is 1T
right, is it just to traduce him or belittle
his work? Give him the credit which is
his due and deal generously with him as
he deserves.
JOHN NAGLE,
Supt. OF Schools
Manitowoc, Wis. July y, 1890.