The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-23
From the Citizen.

Nothing reveals more clearly how great
has been the dependence of ethics upon |
religion than the fact that when religious |
teaching ceased in the schools the idea of |
teaching ethics separately was hardly en-
tertained, and has received to this day but |
scant acceptance. 1t was the very depth of |
conviction about religious principles and |
forms which excluded religion from school |
instruction. The feeling of each sect was
better no religion than non-conformity
TO theirs, although there would have been
more philosophy in such maxim as any
religion rather than uone. SO it came
about that the elementary schools were
devoted to instruction which ignored rec.
ognition of the greatest force i'm human
AFFAIRS that they might teach methods and
facts having chiefly a commercial utility
Ethics, morals, attention to the founda-
tions of character were disregarded in
arranging programmes for the discipln-
airy hours of child life. because it was so
much the habit to connect these things
with religion that they were banished
with 1T as a matter of course This indi-
rect consequence of lack of religious unity
has borne its fruit in a somewhat me
chaniCal system resulting naturally from
the absence of the highest possible motive
underlying the educational plan. To equip
| children with certain tools for use in
| winning livelihood, and to give them
| access to whatever knowledge may come
| from lne redulnS tneN CnanCe 10 90, Is a
| good motive, but it is not comparable to
| a conscious purpose to develop character
and encourage morality. The idea that
| the proper places for children to be taught
| religion are at home, in church. and at
| Sunday-school Is well enough in theory
| and 1t must serve in practice, as applied to
religion only; but the acceptance OF .eli-
| sious precepts is much easier than the
| practice of morality in the common af-
| fairs of life, ana it is deeply to be re-
gretted that the ethical influences which
| 30 with home and church teachng-where
| such influences eXist-are not supplement-
| ed by an education in school which has
| for its principal aim the development of
| Il sense of responsibility. If the schools
| must leave religion alone, it does not fol-
| low that they are prohibited from incul-
| eating that morality which is common to
| the Paganism of Plato, Epictetus, and
| Marcus Aurelius, to all Christianity, and
| to Judaism.
DR.. J. NJ. Rice says in The Forum for
| December, 1896, that there is substan-
| TALLY an agreement to the effect that the
| general aim of the elementary schools OF
| our country is to develop moral indi-
vidual,' endowed with the power of in
dependent thought, the ability to earn an
! honest livelihood. culture, refinement, and
broad and intelligent interest in human
| affairs" There may be such general
| agreement among those who have
| thoughtfully constructed a theory as to
the proper work of the schools, but it
does not appear that this aim governs in
the minds of those concerned in school
| management. Even DIR. Rice, a little
| later in the same article, when he comes
| to state what the elementary schools are
| bound to accomplish mentions only
reading, writing, the use of figures, geog
| raphy, and history, as the requirements
| which they should impart to their pupils.
hn tuly fG. u,,1t tod hat
children are taught the three RS, under
| Intelligence necessary TOR good citizenship
! will naturally follow: or that If such a
| result is not obtained it is no concern of
the schools. 1t is true that a few verses
from the Bible, without comment are
| read daily, and occasionally hymns are
sung, but we think we are within bounds
| in saying that. aside from the sense of
| order and the impressions of right and
| wrong developed incidentally by school
| government, the schools furnish little or
nothing that is helpful to children in
forming high conceptions of their duty to
| society, in ConceiVing fine ideals of per-
sonal virtue: unless, as often happens for
tunately, the personal influence of the
teacher is eXerted beyond the demands
of the school boards.
AS a matter of fact no one has yet
formulated a satisfactory plan for ethical
teaching Independent of religion, and the
difficulties of doing so are great, because
such plan lacks the sanctions to be
found in the Divine will; but there are
other sanctions, sufficient for a strong
appeal, not the least of which is the gen
eral agreement of civilized men as to the
virtues most valuable to society and most
likely to win esteem and confidence. We
believe history might be so taught as TO
enforce the great lessons of human eX-
perience, rather than to cram children
with barren facts There is no reason
why children should not have explained
to them, with ample illustration from
| what is within their own experience, the
principles and conditions of local govern
ment; and be taught in this connection
the meaning of honesty, fidelity, the obli-
cations of public service, the essentials OF
that patriotism which sees as great a
! shame in public as in private immortality,
Il patriotism which conceives Of the ma
tion the state, the city, each as greater
: than its members, and therefore worthy
of sacrifice and at least quite as worthy
to be guarded from reproaCh touching the
l conduct of its affairs as are private repu-
tations. If the fundamental principle un-
derlying the purpose of the public schools
were to form and establish character of
the highest type, the effect OF such teach
ing would be to lead us gradually to en-
2 tirely different levels of thinking about
e. business and politics and all the relations
of life. A merely utilitarian training
must be carried further than it is by the