The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-03-12
LAHAINALUNA. Sept. II, 1898.

tlOn that are Well worth reading:
LAHAINALUNA. Sept. IL, 1898.
Hon. S. 3. Dole, Kohala, Hawaii
| DEAR SIR: 1t is with no common
! degree of interest that L have looked
| toward the possible reorganization OF
| the Board of Education; and now that
| there seems to be a pause in the mat
! ter, L have resolved to place before
you some considerations which may
possibly have some bearing upon the
| selection of members. / do not know
how much you are harrassed in your
retreat by public affairs or by incon-
siderate correspondents like myself.
But if you have more than you feel
you ought to bear, it is comparatively
easy to get rid of letter.
In the first place, it should be under
stood that some kind of order has been
brought out of the chaos into which
the schools were at one time thrown.
School buildings have been construct
Ell and repaired; children have been
brought into the schools; teachers
have been compelled (where compul-
sion was necessary to attend reason
ably to business; some of the very
poorest teachers have been discharged
and those of the grade next higher
have been given some systematic
help to do better work. In all this I
see great reform accomplished; but
1 also see greater and more difficult
reform yet to be accomplished. There
ought to be reform in the conduct of
SchOOlroOm work so radical as TO
amount to conversion of the schools.
The evident purpose to fit the chill
dren out with certain amount of
valuable Information should give way
to the purpose to develop their minds
1and build up in them right characters.
1t is not the highest purpose of our
schools to fit pupils with competent
knowledge of the English language.
Granted that English is more impor-
tant than any other branch, the
human mind and soul are vastly more
important still. This change of con-
ception of the province of the school
will work radical change in all its
methods. For the accomplishment of
the new purpose it will be seen to be
less important how much a child
learns than how he learns it. His
active and not his receptive powers
should be the center of the teachers
attention and efforts. Self activity is
the key of all education with this
purpose in view, as the human powers
grow only through exercise. And il
will involve "a change in the course of
study, as well as in the methods of
teaching. The active powers of the
child will be exercised more on the
literally tangible. Things will be
studied much more than at present.
But it would involve the greatest
change of all in the teaching force
itself. The force needs to advance
all along the line. AS yet no seri-
Gus effort has been made to do more
than bring up the stragglers. What
we need is a decided advance on the !
part of the force as a whole. OF course
this does not imply a belief that we
have no good teachers. The contrary !
is the fact. But as q whole the teach |
ing force is nos what it ought to be, |
and the best of teachers have abund- /
ant room for improvement. As TO the |
details OF plan 10 make these i'm /
it is perhaps not neces
sary 90 say anything at present. But ]
finally, wedding out of the force ON {
moral distinctions ought to be made :
/ have only OEce visited school out.
side of Lahaina within q year, and
then found the principal off on
three-day drunk. Such things must
work untold harm TO childreu-and
parents as well--if not promptly
'rowned down by the Board.
hope we shall have a Board who
will see the necessity for these
changes, and have the courage to un-
lertake them and the perseverance 10
larry them through. in spite of the
numerous real and imaginary difficult
les in the way. This is no time for
keeping things running in about the
anne old way, but a rare opportunity
or radical provements. Is 1t possi-
lie TO find men (or women) equal to
he occasion" Enough of that.
Lahainaluna prospects seem re-
good.
Yours respectfully,
HENRY :. TOWNSEND.