The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-06
TALKS BY UTAH EDUCATORS
BY KATHERINE E. DoPP,
Supervisor Of Training, University Training School
NUMBER II.

III arithmetic methods that belonged
only to business of the middle ages,
when we would confine the work of in
struction to matter printed in books it
IS time TO call a halt. 1t would be Well
TO have a committee OF competent peo-
pie appointed to examine the curriculum
with reference to striking out Survlvals
of past culture. The time spent in
mastering empty forms should be spent
IN dealing with living issues. 1t takes
penetration of mind to know and cour-
age to dare TO cast away dead forms.
but this is no more than we have a
right to expect of those who frame our
courses of study. 1t is a matter of too
great Importance to be neglected or TO
be left to incompetent hands.
More serious than the persistence of
types that have passed out of existence
is the omission of some of the most
important questions of life. The child
cannot become good citizen merely by
the study of civics. The ordinary text
book work in civics is barren and,
formal There is need of the eX-
perienees stage. The work which has
been started in some Of the vacation
schools of Chicago suggests that much
can be done for the child in this line
and at the same time the child can
be useful member of society if his
activities are wisely directed. Games
afford an opportunity for valuable
study. The child feels the need of gov
eminent in the game and readily COM
plies with its regulations. Self govern
ment is being tried in many of our
higher institutions and it is finding a
place in the elementary school.
Practical experience of this kind stands
in the same relation to systematic
civics as laboratory work does to
science. 1t furnishes experience which
enables the child to understand the,
abstract statements and enables him
to see the application of formulated
civics to social life.
Surely present social life is not lack
ing in stimulus nor is it deficient in
rich material to satisfy the various
needs of the individual. The weakness
of education at present is that it omits
some of the most vital material and
teaches such that remains by such
methods as to interrupt the organic
movement that normally should take
place between the individual and So
ciety. The individual does not feel that
the stimulus comes from a live world
nor does he realize that his reaction
upon and contribution to this goes to
society and affects the life of the whole.
As long as the school is regarded as
something apart from real life, as long
as subjects are treated without refer
long will the school be inefficient as an
instrument of social progress.
If we would do what we should for
the individual we must cease regarding
him merely as an individual. We must
see him in his relation to society. We
must see him not merely in his present
social relations but We must see that
which is potential in him. The curri-
culum should be reorganized in the light
nf "a
sanitary science and cooking should
be introduced in the study of science.
History should be enriched by relating
it to problems of the day. Such a
topic as the building of roads by the
Romans isolated from the social life
of that people is meaningless, and I'M
less it is related to similar problems
of present social life it is remote and
without value. In order then to realize
the value of such that is already in
the curriculum there must be intro
duceG related topics from present social
life. We must not try to get the child
to live in past civilizations. We should
go to the past only for lessons which
may serve to guide us in present social
life.
When one contemplates either the
ignorance or the misconceptions of
most young people in regard to some
of the most vital questions OF life, one
cannot but feel that it is time to aban-
don the negative policy of the present
and take some steps toward satisfying
the natural desire of young people for
knowledge usually withheld from them.
l know that many believe that this is a
matter for parents only to deal with,
but we all know that few parents take
this responsibility. 1t is true that the
schools are not yet ready to undertake
this work, but something can be done.
Such books as Margaret Warner Nor
ley's Song of Life" DR.. Mary Wood
Aliens Teaching Truth" Child Con
fidence Rewarded" and Almost Man"
can easily be made accessible to chill
dren We should treat these matters in
a common-sense way. When the child
shows curiosity in regard to a question,
if it is not satisfied in rational way
he tends to become morbid. If the
curiosity is satisfied, the mind is at
rest on the matter and dismisses the
subject. The home and school can do
more toward promoting social purity
than can possibly be done by preach
ing or legislation. Ignorance is the root
of much evil which the schools can
gradually eradicate if there is a wise
co-opera ton with the home. The plea
that Miss Scott makes in her book en-
titled Organic Education for wiser
treatment of young people during the
early years of adolescence should be
considered. She believes that the sex
instincts should be wisely guided and
turned into healthful channels, rather
than allowed to become morbidly per-
verted or hopelessly Swallowed If at
this time pure and rational ideas of
love are developed by the use of care
fully selected love stories, it will do
much toward building up sounder
social structure. Is it not time for some
of our higher institutions to offer
courses in training for parenthood?
Has not society as a whole the right
to expect of that institution that I'M
dertakes the task of training the young
a recognition of subjects right under
standing of which is so essential to the
well-being of people?
With regard to the subject matter,
then, the problem is to be solved by
simplifying the present complex social
life so as to enable the child to under
stand it; by purifying the stimuli; by
striking out that which has lost its
value; by taking pains to select not
only phenomena typical of large class
es, but phenomena typical of all funda
mental activities of life. In short, the
matter should be comprehensive and at
the same time simple enough to meet
the needs of the stage of development
in which the individual is at the time.
In general, primary euucatlon should
be the period for getting experience,
secondary education for interpreting it
and mastering its technique, and high
er education for applying truths already
gained in the further discovery Of
truth Yet there are circles within cir
cles, and it is the part of the teacher in
each stage to provide conditions so that
the learner may become saturated with
the subject and may react upon it so as
to contribute something to others. If
the individual merely receives, he be-
comes passive. Atrophy sets in. OPP
portunity should not only be provided,
hut tn. tonnhnr. chnIld gee To Ii that