The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1895-06-06
THE EDUCATIONAL WANTS OF
THE NINETEENTH CEN
TURT.
Moral Education.
By d. f.. SIMPSON.

Although education is usually dlvi
ded into moral, intellectual, social, ns-
thetic, technical and physical, it must
not be supposed tnat there is a rating
the one from the other There is no
such line. They are dovetalled, the
one into the other like colors in the
spectrum, and that teacher will be a
poor moral instructor, indeed, who only
finds opportunity for moral instruction
during the Scripture lesson. He will
be unworthy the name of teacher Of
sociology, who only finds time for its
great lessons at some particular hour of
the day No, there is no sharp line OF
demarkation between them. Still
equally foolish will be the teacher who
will try to teach everything in one les
son. Every lesson has a particular OBJ
Iect in view and this must always be
kept in mind. We have no patience
with those teachers who do strive to
burden an exercise with tar fetched
morals when such do not IN the least
said so much we shall now proceed to
consider Moral Education. No school
fulfills it's purpose which fails to attend
to the morals of the pupils. No teach
Is qualified for the responsible office he
holds who neglects his duty in this res
pect. We are an enthusiast with re-
gard to good scholarship, but we are
far more of an enthusiast with regard
to sending out from our educational in
stltutions good men and good women.
good boys, and good girls. Good schol-
arship is a grand and desirable thing,
but actual goodness still srunder and
more sublime. 1t is divine. Hence
the reason we place Moral Education
at the top It is first, because it is of
most Importance. Whether a man is
to be a blessing or a curse to himself
and humanity depends not SO much
upon his physical capacity, more upon
his intellectual, and most of all upon
the bias of his mO"al nature. Let US
remember this To neglectit is suicid-
al.
At the outset we may say that 1t is
not to be inferred that teachers are to
give religious instruction of sectarian
nature in the schools. We mean
no such thing and are bitterly opposed
to such proceeding. But what we do
mean to insist upon is that the true
educator is bound to use every means
in his power, and to utilize every op-
Dortunltv be can, "tO quicken the con
science and influence the will'' Of the
pupils under his care.
1t goes without saying that virtue
is not always the concOmltant OF
knowledge, and that the lessons which
children receive may become pernlcious
10 them if addressed only to their I'M
derstandlngs. Let not the teacher,
therefore, fear that he invades the
rights of parents by giving his first
care to the moral culture of his pupils.
It is his bounden duty. In the same
degree as he ought to guard against ad-
mitting into his school the spirit OF
sect and party, or of instiling into the
minds OF children religious dOgmas or
political principles which their parents
| disapprOve-ln the same degree, he
ought to elevate himself above the pass
| ing storms which agltate society, IN Or
der that he may be able to apply him
self without ceasing, to extend and es-
tablish those imperishable principles Of
reason and morality, without which
the general order of civilized society Is
in peril. and to implant deeply IN the
Young minds those seeds Of virtue and
honor which it will be out of the power
OF the passions OF more mature age to
eradicate He must never, by his con-
versation or example, run the risk OF
weakening among children the venera-
ton due to virtue. Faith in Provl-
dence, the sanctity Of duty, submission
to parental authority, respect for the
laws. for the rights Of all men, together
with the thousand and one virtues that
spring from these, are the sentiments
which he must increasingly inculcate