The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-06-12
AN ADDRESS

BY +. q. COOLEY, PRINCIPAL.
II is frequently asked why SO many OF our young
people leave school so early In life. The average
school life the child is probably not over four
years, while the number who finish the cOure
in our village high school Is not much over live
per cent ofthe school population.
One way Of answering this question Il to
criticise the course Of study. Doubtless the
courses are crude and incomplete. but hardly
think this is the main difficulty. The American
of the present day Is permeated with the notion
OF the Omnipotcnce Of legislation In curing evils
social, moral and economical. that Il H. no wonder
he attempts 10 cure the educational evil-for such
1t is-by = resolution. inserting or dropping out
few studies from the coursc. Some OF you prob
ably remember bow successful Gov. Keift was
In driving the Yankees lc:n the Connecticut
Valley by his proclamstions.
Perhaps 1t will not be out Of place for me to
answer one Or two objections 70 our course that
often hear.
was the intention TO make them work, and work
hard. Any school course that does not exact
hard. persistent study ought to be 0verhauled
IN the interests Of sound education. The
school should exact fixed lessons, definite work
In definite time. 1t has been suggested that
the Day of Judgment loses much Of its el1cieu-
cy rs an Incentive to good works from the
tiiiic,,lty Of fixing tts exact date
Speaking Of our own course believe Inst
large majority Of the pupils who enter tho
school could complete it, course betwcsn the
years Of 1--WE md seventeen, II suitable work
was done throughout the grades. A failure
anywhere along the line means. mot only lot
time. but the formation Of mental habits that
ultimately drive the pupil from school.
One thing that drives many from our schools
h nnwiiingncss TO submit to the tlisciplinc OS
the school. The xood old-fashionsd virtue Of
obedience s not special characteristic Of the
American town boy. however Il may be with
the country 10y. Obedience II the ono thing
that ought to be part Of every curriculum In
every grade. The parent or teacher who fails
to exact II does the child and the whole com
munity an injury. Ifby ability yon mean pow
err Of doing, 1t Is IN much moral quality ~ an
intellectual one. and industry and seif-denial
are fundamental qualities. ] believe In the d.
vinity OF work. and that II work be the result
OF the fall 81 man, 1t will the cause OF his rise.
II he ever rises. Every effort possible should
bc made, both ut home and Mt school, to form
habits Of industry In the child. The formation
Of a habit means much more for good or for
| evil than any amount of Information. however
valuable.
haste to he rich, to be In business Of some
kind, urges many u boy to quit before he ought
to. The small amounts such boys earn usually
are spent foolishly, while the knowledge OF
business h not usually Of Sd much importance
~ to overbalance the loss In other ways
It h very doubtful whether the average hoy
| can do as much for himself, between the ages
| Of hve and seventeen, anywhere else N he can
In the public school. Careful STATISTICS ah0w
| that very large proportion OF the graduates
Of our high schools meet with more than the
usual degree of success In after life.
Many boys and girls are compelled 10 quit ON
| account of poverty. II our new textbook law
| IL taken advantage 81. many Of these win re-
| main longer In school. The experience OF
Massachusetts, under her free textbook law
shows that the per cent of attendance was .in-
creased after Its adoption. Our high sCh0Ols
are the people. coiisges.. and every poaai1le
have the moral and intellectual qualities nec.
eseesy 70 pgpas " tssls eo0sDss.