The Opelousas courier., 1897-04-17
EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
The Child Garden.

the actors upon it. AS actors upon 1T
we go through four successive periods OF
growth, namely: infancy, childhood,
Youth and manhood. While man really
lives in the present all his efforts should
be toward the attainment OF perfect
manhood. This degree OF perfection in
the last period of life cannot be obtained
without a careful, deliberate and judi
cious training through the other periods.
The part played in any period can
hardly he said to be more important
than the part played in any other period;
Each has its Importance, but the second
period. childhood, only shall be dealt
with. In this state of development he
is called Il child and his place OF oc-
%cnpatiou might be termed a Child Gar
The nature Of children seems to
have begun to be studied or perhaps
understood three centuries ago when
John Amos Comenius, who was a great
educational reformer, advanced ne"
ideas and principals III regard 10 the
training of children.
The Child GARDEN virtually has Its
origin and foundation with PestaIozzi,
and principally with Foebel two centur-
les later. Each had tie correct idea in
regard 10 education; they both main
famed that ciliidien should be engaged
in play planned and conducted by sound
heads. Their ideas were somewhat
similar to those Of Coinenius, but only IA
littie more advanced. Ali the claims of
their theory have been ~substantlated 10y
modern educators.
Froebel is really the founder OF t',e
Child Garden. His purpose was purely
educational. but lie would have 10
"~sclIoolipg." He established commuDi-
ties Of children for education; and called
them kindergaItens, gardens OF child
rep, that is enclosures IL which young
human plants are nnrtured. The child
rens employment was play. but any
occupation in wi:ich children delight is
pIay to them. Herbert SpeEser says
that the clliin's play is his most serious
occupation. Fioebei's series OF plays
taken from an educational point or vie"
have IL worthy purpose. rms purpose
as F:oebel himself states 1t is, Ito give
the children employment III agreement
with their whole nature; to strengthen
their bodies, to exercise their senses; to
engage their awakening mind III
through their senses to make them sc
ouaiuted with nature and their fe!low
creatures, it is especially to guide Alright
the heart and the affections; and to- lead
them to the original ground OF IKE, to
unity with themselves"
Al was said above we call this stage
of life childhood and the child's scope OF
range the garden. Tie Child Garden
might be compared to IA vegetable gar
den only with this difference: in the one
we receive the plant, and it is to be cui-
tiyated; i'll the other It IS 10 pc p'ahteu
and cultivated.
There are three elements that constI-
tute the garden; viz, the plant, the gar
dener, and tie cnltivating implements.
The child is the plant, the teacher the
gardener, and his knowledge and per.
sonal gifts arc the implements. Each OF
these has its Significance and Importance
and should receive its proper amount OF
attention ar the result will be unwllo!e-
some to the plant.
As tie man in the vegetable garden
has 10 understand the nature OF each
and every plant; so has the man Ill the
human or Child Garden to understand
are intrusted to him for cultivation.
How often in gardens we see plants ne
elected, we see plants side by side, some
in all freshness Of bloom, some looking
as it they arc pining for something
which cannot be had, some grown up to
seed, some intermingled with cockelburs
and wild grass and ONE dead. Such Is
the condition OF the garden when the
NATURE of the plant is not understood,
when their wants and requirements are
not known.
Walk into one OF our human gardens,
schools, and look around and examine
the plants. You will find the same dis
agreement as in the vegetable garden.
Now let us look at the gardener or
| teacher. Does he understand his bust
| ness; does he recognize his responsibility
| and know his duty9 II he does, alrs
| we'll. But think of him as wholly ignor-
| ant Of his business, responsibility and
| duty. Then we sec those plants IN d
silent but weeping posture implOrlng to
| be released from such a prison, we see
the cruel but innocent teacher admins
| tering his medicine poison to those little
| plants. The responsibility for the life
and growth of the plants lies heavily Oh
his shoulders. just think OF what great
| evil is done both the individual and the
community, it the teacher fails to give
| the proper nourishmeDt to his plants.
He commits a crime when he fails to re-
cognize his duty. To think that after
the seed has been sown in this beautiful
garden, it should be allowed to- grow up
to seed, or die among weeds, make US
feel like murderers. But perhaps that
is a little to strong All this evil is
committed III ignorance and innocence.
Yet are we not to blame for this ignor-
ance7 1t is time now that we should be
wide awake, and take the experience OF
tho ancients, and those who have just
preceded US, and thereby profit. 1t is
true that we have made progress IN ed
ucation since the birth of Christ, but
has it not taken over eighteen centuries
to do it,? After this long period Of
study the gardener should be responsible
in no small degree for his plants.
Now what are the cultivating imple-
meuts in this garden7 They are the i'm
PIGMENTS t%hatioosen the hard soil around
the plant; the. implements with which
the weeds are pulled up. In the Child
Garden the teachers knowledge and
personal gifts are the implements. AS
with the garden tools they should not
be allowed to get rusty. Ii rusty they
should either lie frightened or not used
at all. Let the. tools be of the proper
kind. We want o that, when used
will scratch the roots or peel off the bark.
We now have a Child Garden pictured
with three elements as constituting it.
Each Of these has its Importance ard
plays it's part.
This garden is either good or bad &C.
cording to the cu~ltivating capacities Of
its gardener. In this garden asl1n al
others, whatsoever a man soweth, thai
also shall he reap" But the result OF
the harvest of this garden cannot be
compared with the harvest of a field OF
vegetable garden. The fruits produced
in gardens for children lasts mucl
longer than all other fruit; it not only
lives with itself but for generations
after. Dickens says, II think it mus
somewhere be written that the virtues