The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-06-20
OBJECT OF NEW METHODS IN EpU.
CATION,

CATION,
A lady of marked intelligence and much
experience in school affairs, raised the QucS.
ton at meeting OF tcarhcrS, whether the
work done now produced heitcr results than
that of years ago. Il was u general com'
plaint, she said, that the pupils were mac
curatc, imperfect, and had no thorough
knowledge Of anything, lr this worc due To
now methods and the new studies that are
ever seeking admission into the school
course, might it not be that the new methods,
tried by results, were poor substitute nOr the
olds
\ very Intelligent physician Of this city
has made the same criticism, some VI the
directors are questioning whether TO pruno
the course Of study down or TO admit more
some OF the teachers, especially In the higher
grades .arc saying, "Glve us more thorough
ness; let us return TO hard study. Let the
children know well wha, they do know, even
though that may not be very much."
These questions are very much IN arrest,
and need very earnest consideration; aud not
the less SO because. In the Judgment OF the
undersigned, they hail nom the stationary
spirit. and do not represent progress.
l. our educational methods arr still In the
transition period, We are letting 80 OF the
old system; we have not yet seized the new,
Prog rcSs or good results. will not BE- found In
q retreatto the definitenesS, but narrowucss
and littleness of the old. IL twill be found by
periecting the new.
:. The objects proposed by the new
methodist must not be forgotten, For the
primary grades, and even the intermediate
grades, 1t is not mainly acquisition, but
growth. 1t is not so much storing the menu
ory. but enlarging the power OF seeing, per
eeiving and conception. including imagina-
tion, which are the primary faculties. Not
by drill, but by instinct; not by constniniug
aud hardening the mind, and compelling the
child 20 retain what to his present develop
ment is OF no interest, can mental growth be
secured. II is rather by keeping the mind
plastic, and II anything reiarding the growth
OF the later faculties OF memory and reason
ing that this lSIdone.
To those who forget that the object OF edu-
cation at first Is growth, much that Is asked
for in the earlier grades seems worthless or
foolish and childish. Indeed, II Is childish,
because IL IL for children, but II is therefore |
wise and valuable. II secures the object, !
which is 10 bring definitely into action and to |
enlarge the primary mental faculties.
As the result OF the first three, or even six, |
years OF a child's schooling, what is wanteds |
Is 1t not the power To observe, to notice like |
nesSes and differences; 10 give attention, and. |
most of all, to be interested II certainty is |
not a memory educated by hard coming; a |
little mind exhausted by too heavy burdens; |
or, worse yet, hatred OF study and a wicked |
skill in shirking duty.
II must be remembered again that the OBJ
ject OF n q later study, even from the end : I
the grammar department To the end Of the
High school. or the college course, Is not in
formation, but power. Il Is to BE- able TO use
independently and correctly the great facul-
ties OF memory, comparison, reasoning; pro-
longed concentration, ability TO conceive an
object. TO hold all the mind 10 Il, and to know
for ones self when this Is attained; TO com
mand and to marshal the faculties so that
they respond vigorously and without fatigue
10 the stimulus OF the will-this Is the special
object Of the secondary schooling, T. e. power.
The actual Information, apart from It's value
to awaken and develop its other faculties and
~ give AlAktEAAA lOE AE1llAlE- AihA - nu-
tanned during all the school course, both
primary and secondary, is incousiderable,
and except in few great outlines is not 10 be
fixed on the memory. Very properly il con-
sis;s for the greater part Of matter, valuable
as ii Is for growth and training, that may be
prohtably, or al least without detriment, for
gotten. Not until the mind Is grown, not un-
til the judgment is formed, not until the man
can think correctly for himself should the
material OF practical life be secured. This Is
surely right. II is after leaving school and
college that the professional man, the busi.
ness man, or the tradesman, learns ais cali
ing. II 10 that he can dring to his school or
college life growth and power, and with these
integrity, he asks no more; though necessar.
fly the beauty, the pleasure Of literature, art
and companionshlp and theliberalized mind,
Of well spent school life will be his posses
sion forever.
To ask OF the primary grades more than
grl with, or OF the secondary grades more than
power, is to expect colt TO be a horse, or a
common horse to be a Maud s. To put the
requirements Of horse upon the colt is TO
destroy both It's colthood and It's horsehood.
To demand Of the succulent faculties Of the
child the dull and prolonged application Of
the adult is to ruin both childhood and man
hood
The question 30 ask your boys and girls
coming out OF school Is not whether they are
crammed, but whether they are capaclous;
not what they have done, but what they can
do. They are not accountants; they are not
lawyers or school teachers; they are not
writer's; they may even-crime Of crimes
make mistakes in spelling!-Orthograph
god of the old school.
g. But here comes the real point Of collision
between the old and the new. The believer
I'm the schooling that Is small and thorough,
and having # drilled In 10 last for life says:
| II you give six years Of child's school life
principally to growth, and six or seven years
more to acquisition Of power, and then ex.
| pect him to spend three or four years more 10
| learn his trade business or profession, are
| you not expecting him TO give too much
time? Are you not encouraging him
to aim at altogether TOO high a position
| In life? Are you not unduly stimulating his
| ambition, and framing in his mind a cOncep-
tion OF his life built upon TOO large a base, in
volving more than is possible 10 the common
man, and educating him out Of the position
which he must I'LL? Should the common
man be educated 10 be the independent
thinker, with the power TO weigh and judge,
TO propose his own objects, and the intelli-
gence 10 bend his environments TO his will?
These ore all questions asked ~ the disbe-
| levers in the new methods Of education, and
nothing shows more clearly than these that
the old is already dead.
II. :. LYMAN.