The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-28
PHASES OF EDUCATION.
Samuel E, buttons Lee
lures Published in
Book Form.


The Macmillan press has recently is
sued volume Of lectures written by
Samuel T. Button on Social phases
of education" Most Of these lectures
were delivered in the Harvard course
on pedagogy. The book is of more than
ordinary interest and Importance since
it emphasizes the social aim of the
school room.
A quotation embodied in the book
and taken from the writings of Dr.
Dewey of Chicago University is the
key to the sentiment that pervades and
directs the thought of the lecturer
THE teacher is engaged not only in the
training of individuals, but in the for
nation of the proper social life"
While this view of education is not
entirely new, Mr.. button has been the
first man to set it before the public in
a formal way. Furthermore, his theory
| is based upon the actual development
| of the Educational Society Of Brookline,
where practically every suggestion con-
| tanned in this volume is worked out in
actual practice. Mr.. Dutton has been
called upon to repeat his views in scores
of cities throughout the country and
| he has delivered similar courses of lee
| lures at Boston University, at Vassar,
and at Chicago University.
1.-The social aspects of the home and
the school," is the title of the first es-
say. Mr.. Dutton shows that service is
the first law of life, and demonstrates
that even in nature and among ami
mails, this truth is everywhere appar-
emit The new education began when the
Great Teacher summoned the world to
life of service. Man liveth not to
himself alone" and is ''his brothers
keeper" Social contact is controlling
element in the formation of character.
The ideal home should be social and
trained to unselfishness and sympathy
and kindness. The school is, or should
be another form of social life. 1t is
social institution and should help to
fit a. child to take his place in society.
The school should socialiZe the child.
Excessive school discipline sometimes
prevents the growth of nigh motives
and self-control Every school room
should show some result along the me
of self government. We have right TO
demand a gentlemanly bearing, court
eous consideration, and respect for
superiors, as much as proficiency In Ger
tain subjects In testing the school, we
ask first: 'Is the recitation social or
unsocial?" The acquisition of know
ledge is not of such Importance that the
social code should be constantly VIC
lated in the school room. Teachers
sbonld not nav tribute to brilliant per-
| fornances or cast a slur upon SLOW or
| less capable pupils. Cooperation, not
competition. should be the governing
principle of the recitation, since cnarac-
| ter building is the highest aim OF eau
cation. ,o+io,,a1
Under Correlation of educatlonal
forces in the community, MI, Duttoli
| That
| tribute to education in the community
are the church, the. home, the. school,
| tbe public library, the newspaper, the
ART museum and the civil state Whlch
protects life and property ana pro-
vIdes for public health and convenience.
| These forces should be correlated Ing
school should become the centre o. tllls
oor.,-eIation The institutional church
has attempted to accomplish TINS c0II
| lation. Social leaders in New YORK
| and Philadelphia and Boston have IN
| dertaken great educational movements
| ana often with success. refer to such
| movements as the recent reform IN Inc
school system of New York ana lne III
vestigation of school houses in Boston
recentIv undertaken by the Association
| of Collegiate AluTnnae. me IWehIlS ZEN
| Century club of Boston, woman clups'
and the Brookline Educational society,
are other examples of organizations
that have undertaken distinct educa-
tional work The leading ann OF such
men as President Eliot Of Harvard COL
lege has been to secure cooperation.
re mission of the public schools
should be closely related to all forms
If social work. School supervision has
Something more to do than to grace
classe6. prepare courses OF study ana
emphasize principles Of teaching:
1.-THE Brookline Education soclety mas o17
attempted this idea of cooperation Oh Oh
a large scale It has concerned ltselI
with everything that touches the
life of the young in the home and IN
the school, Men and women OF wealth.
and leisure have an organization SIM
ple and flexible, electing as ofhcers d
president, a secretary and an executive
committee. This committee originates
plans for meetings and lines Oh WORK
and divides the organization into work
inc. committees. AT present there are
nine of these subcommittee. Ihese
committees are often invited by the
executive committee to arrange ana
carry out a program for public meet
ing. There are five or six OF these
public meetings each year. me SUP
iects chosen for these meetings nave 10
do with the regime of the childs daily
life. including sleep, diet, recreation,
books, companions; phases of the course
Of study, as music, art, literature, MS
tory. science, child study and the bear
ing of these subjects upon the develop
ment of the child. The most success
full meetings have been meetings OF
mothers.
"A vast majority of the parents OF
Brookline are truly sympathetic ana
cooperate with the teachers in every
possible way. The Education society
has created an atmosphere favorable 10
the schools. While all do not under-
stand the subtleties of modern teach
ing, there is little of the fault-finding
and backbiting which is so discourag-
ing to the teacher. The society mas
not attempted to reform anything, but
simply to bring all educational forces
into working relations.
What ought education to do in this
connecticut" is a pressing question;
The subject of economies, of labor and
capital. has been given but a small
place in our schools. Theories of IN
dustrial cooperation are scarcely
taught at public expense. Vocation
ought to hold place of honor and dig
nifty. We cannot aim too strenuously
in our public schools to bring back to
our youth a sense of the dignity OF Ia
Dor and the ability to perform success
fully some form of productive labor.
While the lower schools train to good
habits, the efforts to introduce children
to an acquaintance with machinery, APP
plications of science in the line OF
physics, mechanics and chemistry have
received but an Indifferent support
from the economic public.
Most serious of all is the fact that
the common school system does not
furnish such manual instruction as
enables the grammar school or high
school graduate to enter upon the pur-
suit of any craft. The idle and help
less men of community are menace