The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-09
NATURE OF The CHILD
PROF. SMITH TAKES ISSUE WITH
SOME "CHILD-STUDY"
THEORISTS
ADDRESS TO CITY TEACHERS

In which He Gave Them Food for
Serious Thoughts the Child
IA Primitive Man or a Messenger
of Hope From "a New Messiah
The Professor IncIines to the Lat
ter.
Supt. Smith addressed a large gath
ering Of school teachers yesterday
morning In assembly hall Of the Cen
trail high school, expressing himself
upon a number Of important questions
having to do with the welfare OF the
St Paul schools. He dWelt at cons1d-
cradle length on the prevalence ana
place of fads in modern education, as
serting his views in no uncertain terms.
Mr.. Smith spoke of the anxiety he
felt in discussing opinions and views
3 concerning which he differed with some
+ whose opinions he highly priced. He
should have no occasion TO crltlclse any
teacher acting upon his suggestions
3 unless he learned that she had chang
ed her methods or plans simply because
she thOught he wished II. Every teach
er must act for herself and follow her
own mind and heart in her work, ana
this he should always commend, though
he might differ with her In respect to
my remarks today shall apply to
primary work, in which 1 am more in
ferested than in any other. The work
of the primary department OF our
schools is the foundation and the main
structure Of all public education Many
children never go beyond this, and In
every case 1t is the first bending OF
the twig that determines the inclina-
aion of the tree. Starting with this
idea we consider the great end or edu-
cation, which is not information, pu1
personal Vigor and character And TINS
necessarily implies that 1t Is mistake
to cover too much ground. CrammlhS
and skimming are not education Par
4tal knowledge can impart no vlgor, no
strength and we conclude that chill
6ren should be required to learn lew
things, and to learn them We'll; anu
that. as to the child itself we accept
FroebeHsm, or the kindergarten system,
which starts with the idea that In the
gchOolroom there is nothing 80 Valu-
able as the child himself. The child ls
more than all the books, than all the
furniture. The child is the product or
God. and there can be nothing better.
Touching these two propositions, L
shall endeavor to present some facts
and shall ask you to draw some con-
illusions. OF the Importance of the
work. of the need Of earnest, dlngent
nreparetion, and of a profound KnoWI-
edge Of human nature, we are all
agreed. but so many different opinions
have been expressed, and so many false
theor es are being advoc ted and spread
abroad, that it is possible for us TO
agree upon the above proposition ana
still be very far apart. The first great
duty Of the teacher Is to study enid
life and child nature, and to prosecute
This study under all circumstances, ana
into every condition Of society. Inc
mother or father, who brings a cnllo 10
q. teacher, has right, and 1t IS ms
duty to ask Of that teacher: How 40
YOU regard this creature? What is 1t:
From whence? For what and W1ther.
And no one is fully prepared to teacn
who has not formed some abiding opln-
ion concerning these questions, ana
whether we have formed an opinion or
not, we are at least driven TO the
necessity of pretending that we nave
an opinion, otherwise our whole claim
of competency must fall to the ground.
I know how this subject has interested
the wisest and profoundest philosophers
of all ages How, that far back IN the
early morning of the world in the
Orient, In the valley Of the Euphrates
and of the Nile, in India, in Greece,
men have striven after some definite