The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1892-04-13
VIII show Our Progress.

that our free schools are superior to
those OF any nation OF the whole world.
1t is too bad to break any idol SO gen
orally and so fondly worshipped or TO
smash our self-esteem too rudely. But
those who have travelled in Germany and
in Sweden and Norway and some other
countries and have carefully examined
the school appliances and educational
systems, have usually come back with
serious doubts, at least, whether our
boasted free schools were equal to the
systems OF those countries.
Certainly those of our people who at
t Hded the Centennial Exposition at
Philadelphia must have had their eyes
opened on this matter. Our own OK
hibit did not compare favorably with
even that of Russia in some respects;
for example, as to technical schools,
manual training work and appliances
for hygienic instructions. Sweden had
erected a model. school-house and it
showed that that country was ahead OF
our own il this was TO be taken as the
average country school-house. 1t is
pretty well understood that America has
been behind Germany in kindergarten
schools until within u few years. Even
now little is done in the rural districts in
this most successful method of teaching
the youngest children.
At New Orlt rs the American exhibit
was better than that at any previous
Worlds Fair. But it would seem that
Japan, SO lately awakened from barbar-
ism, showed more progress in some of
the industrial departments and in kim
dergasten than most OF her sister ma
tons much older in civilization.
At Paris in 1889 the French had
model elementary sch olhouse and here
again our average country schooihouse
was put into the shade. In the manual
labor schools the French excel, as proved
by the objects shown from the schools
OF wood and iron workers, dress and
artificial flower makers, designers o.
jewelry and bronze work.
yes, some one may say, I'VE can adj
NIT that in some specialties OF schools
for skilled industry those countries may
excel our own; but in the advantages OF
common schools for all the people, the
United States must be ahead" Are we
quite certain of this? The fact that the
pilgrims, in the sixteenth century, start
ed free schools and higher schools and n
college, and that this might then have
been an advance over what the common
people enjoyed in Europe, does not
modern Improvements.
Just here is where comes in the plea
for the fullest and best pc 3sib.e educa-
tional exhibit at the Columbian World s
Fair First we wish to show the rest of
the world what we have that is Superior
in furnishing and equipping the school
house and in the appliances OF instruc-
ton. But it is far more important that
we have there or best mode S from the
different States in order that each State
and our educators and all our people
may see wherein improvements may be
IN lde, each in his own State and his own
school district
1t is fortunate that an experienced and
enlightened educator in the person Ct
Dr. Selm Ii. Peabody, of Illinois, has
been put in charge of the department
including education. Hon. w. 7. Har-
ris, Commissioner of Education for the
United States, has for a year past urgued
that this great matter have a systematic
treatment; that ample space be allowed
to have the educational exh bits all to-
gether The effect and the practical
results will be greatly heightened by
carrying out this suggestion. Even IL
we must blush 10 find that frozen
Sweden and Norway, or Germany with
its oppression OF militarism or Switzer
land with its poverty of agricultural re-
sources or tax-burdened France, each
may excel US in some respects in their
educational systems and appliances, yet
if we gain information by the object
lesson and are stimulated TO adopt what
ever Is an improvement OIL our own we
will not regret the comparison. In this
way the educational exhibits of all ma
tions, grouped together so grandly as is
proposed, may prove Of in calculable
benefit to our country Rural.