Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1895-09-21
OUR SCHOOLS.

odious to the young. II should be
made interesting to children and
last through life. II has been said
there is no royal road to learning;
il would be more true to say the
avenues leading to IL are all royal.
At least they should be made 40.
Epictetus said: "You will do the
greatest service to the state II you
shall raise, not the roofs OF the
houses, but the souls of the citi-
zcns; for II il better that great
souls should dwell in small houses
rather than for mean slaves to Turk
in great houses
1t il of 6reat Importance to con-
slider whether our present system
of education il the one best calcu-
lated to fulfill these great objects.
Does it really give that love OF
learning that is better than learn
ing itself:
There are many who seem to
think that our educational system
is rs good as possible. ! fear that
il does not really train their mind,
or cultivate the power of observa-
ton, or even give the amount of in
formation we may reasonably en-
pect from the time devoted to il.
An English writer has expressed
the opinion that I'll boy or girl of
fourteen might reasonably be cN-
pectcd to read clearly and agreed
bly,. to write a large, distinct. round
hand, TO know the ordinary rules OF
arithmetic. To speak and write
French with ease and correctness.
To translate from an ordinary Ger
man book: 10 have "a thoroughly
good elementary knowledge OF sc
ography, under which are conpre-
hcndcd some notions of astronomy
enough TO excite their curiosity.
a knowledge of the very broadest
facts of geology and history
enough To make him understand in
clear, but perfectly general way.
how the larger features of the world
lie lives in, physical and political,
came To be like what they are; To
have been trained from earliest i'll
fancy to use his powers of ohserva
ton on plants. or animals, or rocks.
or other natural objects: 10 have
gathered a general acquaintance
with what is most supremacy good
in that portion of the more inpor.
tant English classics - hich is suit
able To his time of life: 10 have
some parliamentary acquaintance
with music aud drawing"
Leaving out the French and Ger.
man. do our schools at the age oi
fourteen produce any such results:
Our great mistake is the worship oi
book-learning-the confusion of in.
struction and education. We strain
the memory instead of cuilivatiug
the mind. We cmphasiZc pages
and per cent, but not intellectual
growth. The important thing is
not so much thatcvcry child should
be taught, az that very child should
be given the wish To learn. What
does it matter if the pupil know II
little more or Il little less: y boy
who leaves school knowing much.
but hating his lessons. will soon
have forgotten almost all he ever
learned; while another who had nc
quired thirst for knowledge. even
il he had learned little, would soon
teach himself more toon the first
ever knew. Children are by nature
eager for Information. They are
always putting questions. This
ought 10 he encouraged. Too often.
however, the requirement Of knowl.
edge is placed before them in Il
form 40 irksomc and fatty ueing
that all desire fsr information il
choked, or even crushed out; so
that our schools. in fact. become
places for the encouragement of
learning, and thus produce the very
opposite effect from that which we
aim.
Education ought not to cease
when we leave school, but if well
begun there, will continue through |
life. l.. o. NOBLE.