Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-07-28
EDUCATIONAL MATTERS. 49,
Early Sohoo Teachers Utah Dr. Parks Address on
Individuality a Purpose In EduoatIve
instruction.

traits, tendencies. special endowment
etc. J am inclined to believe that ever,
man Is more or less endowed with sucl
peculiar powers which, II developed
and given the opportunity Of practical
! app ication, would enable him 10 sur
pass all other men IN the particular field
Of their activity. The differences and
/ peculiariiies In the countenance and
lace lines Of the people We see daily
/ indicate that there are differences and
pcculiarities Ia their mind powers. So
one may safely believe, as Mari, Twain
/ says, that every man has his forte and
therein lies a field for him 10 surpass in
excellence.
We are ready to recognize the force
/ OF individual character M all the Wake
I OF NE, aud u is a question that merits
our attention how we may, in the or.
/ ganizaton Of our social relations as
communities, give opportunities and en-.
cuutagemeut To every citizen to display
10 the best interests Of himself and his
fellow men whatever superior and
peculiar qualities Of merit he may pos.
sess. Free governments are established
Tor this purpose, for under their laws
every citizen IS supposed to have the
greatest latitude IN the exercise OF his
powers consistent with the general wei.
iafc. The effect Of this personal liberty
as applied To the development OF mental
WEOr, IS well marked in the example of
our own country, where progress In
every avenue OF human activity has
bccn simply marvellous. Il b. here that
creative thought has had comparatively
Tree sway, and the apidIty with which
u has matcualized in all the occupationg
OF men, has astonIshed the world.
but u IS not cNpcdignt nor possible
~ a civilized community that every man
should do at all time, as he pleases. II
he may think as he pIcises. Certain
reductions embodied in the laws oil
eivll governments, Of corporations. OF
unions, and OF the various as,ociationg
organized Ia every community for busi.
ness, p,clsurc. or profit. limit i1r A wise
purpose, and In most cases perhaps in a
ludlciuus way the utmost liberty of
action. In Tree country il Is In some
OF these MINOR Organizations where the
greatest danger OF an Unjust infringe.
mcnt Ol mans liberty oi action lies.
Not altogether nor so much perhaps.
~ the ueSpOtiAm OF men who WELD
authority or command the influence OF
wealth, MS through the conirtvrution OF
circumstanccs. Most men are dcpeud.
ent on their daily labor Tor a livelihood.
Their employment In carrying out the
many prOdigJus enterprises OF the
country, the extensive use of m1chin.
cry, and the concert oil action and plans
brought about boy the facilities Tor fapid
ana easy communication aud tfanspur-
TALON between all parts OF the counrry
seem TO be leading 10 organizations that
" not well guarded may become so
restrictive as greatly TO limit the free
cxeL..ie Of individual and exceptional
powers. Persons often bar themselves
against possible opportunities Of inn.
pfovcment or the DEVELOPMENT Of In. |
hefcnt tendencies by accepting uncon.
genial employment. With The neceg. |
sity OF choosing a business to follow.
they do 50 too frequently without con.
su ting the natural bent OF their inner.
ent inclination, or the adapabilty Of
tie work chosen, a. their capacitiee. |
and discover their mistake when too late |
To effect It's remedy. And yet, however |
careful the selection, the labor itself |
especially In the use OF machinery Is |
often OF a kind that almost degrades the i
operator 10 the level OF the machine he 1
operates, as ilr, at least. as the neccs. /
slty Tor thought or any mental exercise /
Is concerned. still, Notwithstanding !
these conditions which are incidental /
though they may sometimes appear un.
avoidable, there Is a wide field Tor the
display Of every mans individuality II |
he can be taught 10 know himself and /
be encouraged 10 exercise an indcpcnd.
ence OF character that will PROMPT hum
TO think Tor himself and act largely on
his own iudgm Mt.
Let as nov Tor few minutes consider
the kind OF education a man should |
have 10 develop his individuality. or II
that runs to weak phases Of character.
how TO make the most OF Il. Il Is not
enough, when more Is possible. that his
education should fl man merely to
follow some legitimate employment and !
quietly make an honest living and be
good citizen solely through his negative
and peaceful qualities. II there are the
germs OF a positive, progressive and
earnest character IN his mental and
moral constitution, they should be
brought out. IL Is character that should
be developed by our System OF primary
education rather than the making Of
adopts In the technical knowledge OF
certain branches Of learning. In the
higher courses OF study,such knowledge
may very properly be pursued as
speciality but only incidentally In the
earliest years OF school training.
am not alone In this view regarding
ghat should be the nature OF instruction
IN our primary schools, as ! am aware
hat the influence OF our best educators
low is, 10 reform the teaching as il has
been, and yet Is, to great extent In
hcse schools, and recognize as the
basis and leading purpose the formation
II correct habits OF thought and invesu-
cation, and TO encourage individual
eatures Of special strength and merit as
hey are made manifest ~ their pupils
from time immcm0rial the three RS |
AVE scheduled the course Of elementary
Instruction IN our common schools.
they have been the fYWUW b0HHjg,
he sine qua non, and the ultima mute OF
his educational curriculum, aud been
pursued with almost the sole purpose OF
nrklng adopts In their technicalities. /
10 not now take note Of the work Of
ecent years by r formers In educational
Methods, though they have In many in
tances merely added 10 these appar-
,ntly fixed features Of the course, or
,nly improved the mode OF presenting
hem.