The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1900-05-10

parents TO SHIFT responsibility in the mat.
ter OF the training of their children to the
teachers of the public school. | have
heard parents rejoice because school was
opening again, when it seemed to me
that the cause for rel 'cing was in the
fact that they were to be rid of the care
OF their children for awhile. In religious
matters it is undoubtedly true that
parents rely upon the Sunday School to
supply felt lack in the home training.
The responsibility which rests upon
parents can not be shifted in any such
way. When man becomes father
and woman mother there is no honest
way by which the Obligations imposed
by parenthood can be transferred to
others. No one can take the place of the
father; no one can fill the place of the
mother. In seuse, therefore, the
school cannot discharge the duties which
are debt TO childhood But, on the
otner hand, parents must OF necessity
under ordinary conditions. delegate to
others certain duties pertaining to par
enthood. The teacher must and does to
certain extent stand in the place OF the
parent. Thus, parent and teacher be-
come co-partners in the training of chill
dren. The teacher, therefore, shares the
responsibility OF the parent.
Now, il education is as President
Woolsey has Indicated, a triple process.
then the teacher and the parent must be
interested mutually III al! three depart
ments OF the work. This means the
moral development OF the child as we'll
as the mental and physical development,
and the question which we are consd-
ering this afternoon AS TO how parent and
teacher may best co operate in this great
work is very important one.
First. Parents may thus co operate
in the moral training of their children by
giving the teacher their intelligent and
hearty support. Occasionally one W i'll
meet with child who seems to proce ed
on the theory that that the teacher is his
natural enemy. Children may imbibe
such ideas, but parents ought to be wiser
than to harbor them. From the very
nature of the case the teacher, if success
full, must be intensely interested in hel
| work. She not only has to satisfy hei
own conscience as to the manner in
which she is discharging the responsible
duties OF her office. but has also repu-
tation to make and maintain. 1t stands
to reason, therefore, that she knows
| uioIt uDOut her Work anu more ABOUT the
pupils, in so far as their school work is
concerned, than any one else. 1t is alb
surd for parent to pronounce hasty
Judgment upon decisions and acts OF the
teacher, and worse than absurd if these
criticisms be uttered in presence of the
child. And this is true in the matter OF
moral instruction and discipline. II the
teacher attempts to train the children OF
her charge in the rules of good society
and to suggest certain laws, conformity
to which marks the difference between
the boor and The gentleman. then parents
who perhaps have never been privileged
to learn the requirements of good society
shonld not throw damper on the laud-
able effort OF the teacher by ridiculing the
innovation. II lessons in aesthetical cul-
ture IRE taught, simply because the
parent has never learned TO see the blue
dome Of heaven or the beautiful lace WORK
OF a spiders web is no valid excuse wi J
the teachers efforts along this line
should be characterized as a "wsett
OF time Ii the teacher directs her eff