St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-20


term, content. as including those branches of
study which possess an intrinsic and funda-
mental value; they are the means by which
the essential are realized. In a general way
the former consists in a consideration of
man and the spirit world and of the world
Oh nature, and the latter OF the various arts
py which man comes to a possession of nature
ana himself. OF course, these distinctions
are not arbitrary exact and here ii is
necessary to speak of a criticism made on
correlation by those who do not comprehend
IL "A distinction between form and content
does not imply that they to be treated
as separate and unrelented entities; that
would not be correlation, but disintegration.
This distinction means that they are 10 be
so related in the teachers mind. and are to
be so presented to the child, that the rea-
lions will become subjective in him. He
learns to read, not that he may learn to
read, but that he may be introduced to the
world of literature, hence he should learn to
read by reading something worth while. He
learns TO write, not that he may learn to
write, but that he may be able to communicate
the best that is in him for the benefit OF
others.
have been criticised for drawing this dis
tnction, and especially for saying that the
arts are secondary, that knowledge furnishes
the content. My position was not understood.
mere are three general divisions of the work
OF education. The first is creating in the
child a high purpose; the second is acquaint-
ing him with conditions needs and possibili-
ties, and the third is furnishing him with
the means for the accomplishment OF this
Pui pose. bul tHeSe lnree are parts or one
whole. The second acQuainting the child
with conditions, needs and possibilities in
other words. knowledge. stands as a middle,
term, creating ideals the one hand and
suggesting activity. stimulating effort to ac-
quire the means on the other.
Hence it forms the natural content of his
education.
The great reason for placing emphasis upon
the distinction between form and content is
the necessity for the comprehension of this
distinction, If the adult is to have a true
vfrin iral oh
stacle to the progress of civilization is the
failure of man to comprehend the difference
between means and ends. The average man
deVoteS his energies to the acquiring of that,
which is in itself only means to a higher
end. The eager struggle for money. for
power, for social position. which renders so
fgnoble the life work of most of US is due
to the fact that we look upon these things as
ends in themselves. and not as means to
higher ends. But what can we expect of men
whose early efforts have all been devoted to
the requirement of means as if they were
ends?
If the child is taught to read as if the
ability to read were the end OF his effort to
write. as if fine writing were the best thing
that he could do. what reason have we for
expecting that the man will look upon money.
and power, and social position, as means for
helping his brother man? Life is more than
meat and the body, than raiment." Art for
arts sake is thoroughly detestable. AS well
might we say, food for foods sake, or the
body for the body's sake No great work of
art, whether in painting, music. sculpture
or literature was ever great merely because
OF the artistic skill displayed; rather has
It's greatness consisted in the noble thought
whose expression the artistic skill made pos
sible. This does not mean that skill is not
necessary, but rather that it must be kept
subordinate to the theme this alone makes it
worth while. Tennysons musical verses did
not make In Memoriam," but they made it
possible For the sake of writing "In Mem
oriam, of uttering the noble thought that
was in him struggling for utterance, it was
worth while that the poet should master all
the arts of poesy. Nobility of purpose, ex-
altation of theme, whether in adults or in
children. furnish the only true stimulants
for laboriously acquiring the arts necessary
for adequate expression. This, applied to edu-
cation. does not draw a hard and fast line
between form studies and content studies.
but relates them properly. so that the child
always has before him the worthy aim, as
an inducement to the acquiring of the ade-
quate means. While this subordinates read
ing writing, spelling and language drill, 1t
does not degrade them; 1T rather exalts them,
since thus alone do they find their true place
and are ennobled by a noble purpose.
Let me here say that l do not believe,
nor do l mean to imply that these subordi-
nate branches are taught wholly incidentally.
1t is true that power to read, write spell,
draw, and in the mechanical sense. to use
language, is acquired mainly by practice in
the use of these arts. 1t is an unconscious
product. just as walking is; still. there is a
technique for each of them, knowledge of
which adds greatly to the power to them
effectively, and this technique must be taught
specifically and thoroughly, but at the proper
time and in the proper way-that Is to
time. when the child feels the need OF it.
that he may better attain one Of the higher
ends OF life For example. the child will best
when he feels the need for it, in order that
he may fittingly express some thought which
he desires to express. AS to the way, the
technique of this art must be so taught as to
satisfy this need, so that the child may feel
that he is gaining a new power to aid him
in the attainment of desirable end. The
amount of attention to be given to this study
of technique varies with the age of the child,
as indicated by his school grade
In'ethe primary grades comparatively little
attention needs to be given to the technique
of expression. am compelled to disagree to.
tally with the opinion of the committee oil
fifteen, that the first three years of schoo
life should be devoted almost exclusively tC
the acquisition of this technique, with only
Incidental and casual attention to the content
Of the course Of study. l would reverse the
order. 1t is true that in these three years the
child should acquire a fair possession of this
technique. but at this age, when he is little
able to grasp philosophical principles. and to
undertake effort with a view to remote results
it Is all the more necessary to
APPEAL TO HIS INTEREST.
The young chilo w best acquire the nee
essary arts incidentally. The ends for which
he works must be evident. Place before him
content, to him valuable and interesting and
Immediately obtainable, and he seeks il eager
ly through the medium of the necessary arts
The adult, the young man in college may
study mathematics for the sake of training
his mind; the child, not so; the end that he
seeks is today and he must have the means
at once. He will better learn to read not by
learning words that he is to use in reading al
some future time, but by reading completed
sentences containing thought which interests
him and which he desires to get. He will
better learn to write and to express himself
in good English, not by first learning the
principles OF grammar and acquiring the
m nf nIrrx and hoo he httY
once putting into form some thought which
he wishes to express.
l would say then that in the first years the
i course Of study chould have for the child the
richest content which he is capable of grasp
ing. AS the child advances from grade tc
grade. more attention may be given to tech.
nique as he becomes able to see the relations
between form and content; that is, to under
stand the reasons why certain forms Of ex
preston better than others
| have dwelt thus upon the relations Of
form and content because deem it the frs
and most important correlating principle. Il
remains to consider briefly coordination OF
the relations of the coordinate branches OF
human learning in the course of study, wheth-
er they be five or fifteen. AS | have said
these must all be taken into account, but not
as unrelated. Here even the best of our old
courses of study broke down. 1t was the
education of the faculties and ignored the
unity Of the human soul. 1t recognized va
rtety, but not variety in unity
In the first place a broad course OF study
should be so arranged that naturally related
parts Of the different co-ordinated branches
may be taught at the same time. l say nat
urally related; do not refer to artificial OF
mechanical relations, but to spiritual
Our old courses of study were full of alb.
surd instances of variety without unity. II is
no uncommon thing for a class to be study
ing at the same time the geography of Africa
the history of England, the plant life OF Min
nesota. while having for their reading les
son the story Of Peter the Great the subjects
having no relation either artificial or natural
On the other hand there are new courses OF
study which are absurd. Correlation run
mad, as 1 have heard it described l remem-
Der hearing, days lesson in certain over