The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-05-10
PRACTICAL EDUCATION
WHAT EXPERIENCED TEACHER
WOULD PROPOSE.
Strong Indictment of Present System
of Education--Plans for Bringing
Agriculture to the Front.

believe that the system of educa-
ton now in vogue in these Islands is
void of good results so far as the Ha-
waiians are concerned. Very few
Hawaiians, graduates of our country
schools, are putting to practical use,
the knowledge they have acquired
during their school days. | regret to
state that after fifteen years of eXpe-
rience i'm the schools of this country,
| cannot lay my hands on single
case where the subject is leading a
useful and honorable life. 1t is GER
tain that the staff of teachers are not
at fault. 1t is equally certain that the
element to be taught is not wanting
in intellect and physical capacity. The
system alone is to blame for such
poor results.
In Il country so pre-eminently agri-
cultural as this is. one would suppose
that our leading solonS would endeav-
or to inculcate i'm the minds of our
growing generation Il taste for agri-
culture and its good results. The
few efforts made in that direction
have been more than useless. Stick
ing up class and lecturing on pistis,
petals, pollen, etc, etc, is utter
waste of time. Whether a child
knows or not that leaf breathes and
needs air for its existence, matters
very little when the question of how
he is going to make a living arises.
y complete revolution in the sys-
TEN of education is needed. Aside
from the good effects on the treasury
of the country, many advantages
would accrue from such a revolution.
| am not afraid to state, that under
a new plan, IS per cent of the schools
of this country could become self
supporting and in many instances
financially successful. | am aware
that book-worms, chanks and effemi-
nate teachers will cry down the sys-
TEN | advocate, and declare it inn
practicable and immoral. Results
could only support their assertions,
and until then it would be wise to re-
frain from criticising the new sys-
TEN. | base my criticisms of the
present system on the results now be-
fore everyone, of fifty years work in
these Islands. The average Hawaiian
boy of today who graduates from
school either takes a course in Jail.
plays the guitar all night, drinks like
a fish, CANDLES. swears. smokes at
eight years of age. and is, in fact. ev-
erything except what he ought to he.
| will not comment on the average Ha-
waiian girl.
The few exceptions to the above
will prove that this state of affairs is
the rule.
| should advocate that all schools
situated, where the surroundings per-
nit, be first of all agricultural
schools. | mean by that that agri-
culture and farming be made the
main feature. and that book knowl-
edge be made secondary. The gov
eminent should reserve what | might
call 1.-THE school homestead in every
district where such reservation is pos
sible. Each school should own IA
team of mules, cows, hogs and poul-
try, and all farming implements nee
essary. During holidays and at all
times necessary one hired man should
be kept to look after the property. All
agricultural work should be taught in
practice. not in theory; dairying con
Quoted, and all produce sold and the
money applied to that particular
school.
In the coffee belts each school
should own and operate at least TWEEN
ty-five to fifty acres of coffee, accord
ing to the number of pupils enrolled.
Each boy should have his own in
dividual piece of land and seeds fur
nished free, and he should have a
share in the proceeds of the crop rails
ed by him. At first view this system
may sound impracticable, but it is
far from being so. To the bool-worm
/ can imagine that showing pupils
how to properly milk a COW, make
butter, dig potatoes, and so on, may
sound impossible, but to the average
farmer it is easier than compiling
longitude and latitude.
There are a thousand and one de-
tails to be enumerated in connection
with this system which for the pres
ent would be out of place. | would
only draw attention to the palpable
truth, that an i'll fed body can only
contain an ill-bent mind, and as long
as n system exists which thinks mere
ly of the moral and intellectual train
ing of youth, and neglects the ply
steal and material welfare of the body.
then so long will the physical (and
consequently the moraD features of a
race degenerate.
1t has taken the Caucasian race
two thousand years of training to
bring it to its present stage of intel
lectual and moral standing, and there
are people fools enough to belle, e
that they can bring an aboriginal race
up to the same standpoint in fifty
years.
Yours Truly,
A TEACHER.
To be Continued.