The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-27

agree that the training which ne re
ceives during this time is to be Tn
great factor for good or i'll in his fu
ture life
THE one comprehensive end of edu
cation is TO prepare man to fulfil III
purposes of human existence. Thes
purposes include the perfection o
mans nature for his own highest well
being and happiness and his prepare
ton for the right discharge OF all til
obligations and duties which sprin;
from his relations to MS fellows to so
ciety, to the state and TO Cod. It vii
be readily seen that such a purpose j.
not subserved BIZ the cultivation o
mans intellect alone: neither IS thu
desired end reached by the perfec
physical development added thereto. II
I his Leonard and Gertrude, PeStalozZ
makes Gertrude say. 1t is ali well anC
good for them 10 learn something, bu
the really important thing is for then
to be something
First Of all, however, let me say thai
l believe didactic teaching of morals Il
/ be the least helpful of all means avail
/ able in the development of character
And much as people deplore the fact
| that so few states boast laws compel
ling teachers TO give this instruction. !
maintain that the law alone can dc
nothing to effect the desired condition
except. perhaps, 10 state that moral in
struction shall be given and 10 assign
! TO ii a definite 3lace and time on the
/ daily programme. First of all influences
Of the school-room and out-weighing
aid other things by one-half. comes the
teachers personality; next the organ
! iZafion of school life: next and very i'm
| pOrtant, to the indirect ethical culture
which comes through literature and
! history, and last of all, employed with
varying and doubtful results, didactic
moral instruction.
The whole problem Of moral educa-
| ton involves the recognition of three
great truths. THAT this world is a
world of law and order not world
OF chance or accident. 2-That all the
ends os rational life can be obtained
only by free obedience to this law and
| order. 3-That we owe such obedience.
The deVelOpment IN the child of the
! thought that he is part of this sys-
te9n-that his nature is not opposed TO
II or antagouistic TO ii, is the develop
ment of ms moral nature.
The schoClroom. with its surround
ingS furnishes ample means-indirecJly
as well as directly, for the incubation
of this thought. Every school with it's
attendant environment is a republic in
miniature, in which each individual
must do his share toward the common
and privileges which he enjoys depend
largely on the duties which ne fulflls
TO others. He must feel and he viii feel
that NO man liveth unto himself" The
discipline OF the scncCl-the form Of
government here found-demCcrati
or autOcratic-mUst determine to a very
great degree the kind Of citizen which
shall be evolved. ! Go not by this as
sertlOn mean that the school is wholly
-zfl.
acter, but I do believe that the govern
ment in winch and OF which the child
feels himself a part viii tend TO foster
N him high respect for law and VIII
furnish ideal training for a future citi-
zen Of the greatest republic in exist
ence, whereas that in which fear or
physical superiority are the governing
powers wilL IN time, dwarf self respect
and with that respect for all law
Like our ancient and honOrab Die fore
fathers, 1 claim the right to lay the
blame for TINS statement on the oppo-
site sex. Professor Grigss says: All
forms of government found in the sta-e
may exist liz the school. and the eject
Upon the character Of The governed is
parallel. When q school is governed by
mere brute force. the weaker Children
are frightened into an abjecl subil2is-
sion which DrOgressiV iy annmilates
VIII and reason in them. Children 50
trained are utterly united L. become
citizens of free republic. They tend
to become the men and wOmer who
follow the cry IN religion and politics.
They are Incapable Of an INDEPENDENT
opinion, ana voluntary obedience. to
personal conviction. The stronger chill
dren. on the contrary. those who have
in them the best possibilities of man
hood and womanhood. tend 70 become
rebels. They may obey Wniie q SUPER
ior force dominates them, but their
obedience Is irrational and as soon as
the force IS removed they incline TO
react against ii and so TO the opposite
extreme.
There seems to be buJ one way, then,
TO bring about the desired result-self-
government-and that is by developing
the personality IL the child, and ap-
pealing to thaJ through the highest in
centives which lie within reach. The
one thing 10 be kept constantly in mind
is that onler in the school-rOom is
never an end in itself. but only a means
to an end
The routine Of school life, the mere
working Of what may be called the
school machinery, does much TO foster
in the pupil habits Of order, neatness +
and pronlptness The assembling TO- /
gether Of a large number of people on
y. :
is in itself ar admirable lesson in true
democracy and gives countless oppOr- /
tunities for the exercise OF such virtues .
as kindness. unselfshneSs and, in its /
broad sense. charity.
I have spoken thus at some length /
On the question of school organization,
having especial reference to govern
nent and discipline. first because of
the ethical importance of the subject.
+hnrnrnch lrt-1
edge OF the theories of the best edu-
,ators on this point is not only desiT-
ible, but essential. so that if the United
Women's clubs of the country are 10
AXE up systema ticaliy a study of edu-
,ation and educational conditions. they
nay look At these things from an edu-
'ator's standpoint.
l wish nov before considering how
zach study taken up in the school-room
nay become a means of moral instruc-
ion. 10 sneak Of what must always be
the first and greatest factor
n all educatiOR-the teacher. How
much depends upon her personal char
Lcter; how deep is the impression made
" her upon the plastic mind of the
mid, and what is TO be the effect of
his Impression upon the chiid's nature.
IS impossible 10 estimate. The per
onality Of the teacher is the chief fac
or Of moral influence ia school life.
Put great. sound. whole-s0uled ma
ure a. the head of q school and every
hing else may almost he taken for ]
ranted she can accomplish all pur-
cses 10y drawing close TO herself those
upiis VINO make the public opinion Of
he school, and these in turn she can
lin TO fine and noble views only By
he effect of her own personality 1t
the ultimate source Of power the
entral organ wllich sends out its life-
living currents through the whole or ]
anism 7