The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-06-02
VIEWS UPON EDUCATION THE BURGLAR GETS SOUP.
\ PRACTICAL TEACHER TALKS
INTERESTINGLY.
Some Light Upon the Practical Side
of Education-A Country Teacher
Put His Opinions Before the Public

Editor Star: viii grammar, decimal
fractions, drawing. music, calesthe-
MICS, orations, etc, etc, help this boy
to earn aliving. to become the head
of some family, and help his children
in tle battle of life?
| will have my readers answer this.
From my experience, | say that the
present system of teaching is too
complicated. too varied, for the weak
minded Hawaiians.
Many children come daily to my
school with no food since the day be-
fore. and what food at that!
Teachers expect a hungry body to
contain healthy, intelligent mind.
This is fallacy.
have had children, boys and girls,
who could calculate with astonishing
rapidity problems in fractions, deci-
mails, interest, compound and simple
and what not Where are they now?
OF what use has been all my time
and the Government money spent on
them?
Agriculture presents a practical rem
edy for these evils. Mechanical arts
also. Would it not be better to devote
certain Government lands to the uses
of agriculture for schools, and what
ever profits were derived from such
occupations would become the prop
erty of each child after a certain num-
Der of years.
Take for instance Waipio. What
better field for an experiment of this
kind? Twenty boys could plant a lot
of rice yearly, sell the paddy to the
Chinese. The profits of these sales
would be theirs in trust of somebody.
The Government if necessary.
There are few sugar mills on the
islands that would not buy cane from
these useful youngsters if put to
work. There are few coffee planters
/ hat would not employ all children
that could work.
Sentimentalsts will think me
mercenary and worldly. but I assure
you that with all the moral training
| | have had and that is more than
what the average person in this world
has had, | have grown to see that
when dealing with cold facts. such as
hunger poverty, immortality, etc.
immortality is only a sequel to pow
erty. DO away with the latter and the
former will disappear of itself.
| From Monday to Saturday deal of
! labor can be done Three to five hours
work a day is not too hard for child
rem from 8 to Is years of age. Every
alternate day can be devoted to ac-
tual education, such as reading, writ
ing, counting. etc. Those that show
an aptitude for scholastic learning can
! go ahead. Those that are not fitted
| for it can take the agricultural train
| ing.
In every school would have attach
ed Kitchen and dining room where
every child at noon would get a
square meal, made from what they
have raised. I would teach them cook
ing and cleanliness in the preparation
of their food.
In this branch the schools would be
entirely self supporting by the eX-
change plan. Girls can work like
boys. In no country have I seen the
amount of false modesty and mis-
| placed pride as exhibited in this little
group by young girls (Hawalans)
Some Hawaiian girls seem insulted if
told to weed or do any such hard
work. | would make no distiction of
work so far as sexes are concerned.
Teach the girls to be independent and
self relying Better men and better
women are what we need.
AN HAWAIIAN TEACHER.