Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1900-07-14
Scholastic Deficiencies.

crs' Association, Philadelphia Pa. His
subject was From the Diary Of Ger
man American Schoolmaster. He said
i'll part:
The fundamental evil in American educa-
ton is lack of training to obedience.
Obedience which is the first duty OF the
scholar, of the child, of man, Is one of the
first principles i'll the German system OF edu-
cation But in free country we often hear
said we have no right TO compel the child to
obedience; it must be convinced by reason
ing Aye, if children understood reasoning
it would not be necessary to first educate
them TO this Aristotle says:
Children should early be taught to respect
their parents and teachers declarations, even
though they may not recognize the reason as
readily as preceptS Ofthe correctness OF which
they have convinced themselves.
The greatest thinkers Of all times have em-
phasized this. Locke says:
Children should be taught in early years
unqualified obedience, later freedom, SO that
our children may develop into our friends.
Kant says:
The first essential of child's character is
obedience
From this obedience grows obedience to
the laws of society, the laws of nature, the
laws of God. For such there is no need OF
slavsh VOWS and pledges; they are truly free
and masters of themselves; with obeyins
they ha also learned to control themselves,
Sow habit and you will reap character SOW
character and you will reap destiny.
Happy the home where the commandment
is held sacre i-"Honor thy father and thy
mother" There the promise will not fail
THAT it may be well with thee and thou
mayest live long upon the EARTH
But a child that mocks and evades the man
dates of parents and teachers will later also,
by deceit and fraud, evade the social and by
sophistry, the divine and human laws. The
results are felt in every sphere of social and
political life.
In school the lack of proper home training
is early-and often very diSagreeaby-per-
ceptible to the teacher the general pubhc
can sometimes see its symptoms Sp cases OF
gross INSTRUMENTATION among graduates of
high schools and colleges. Thus. only three
weeks ago, the graduating class of the Batl-
more City College showed by their action
that with all their possible Requirements they
sorely lacked that proud submission, that
dignitied obedience" ofwhich Edmund Burke
has so eloquenty spoken, and which is al
ways the honorable, the manly, the better
thing to observe. weakllng cannot obey,
strong nature is needed to obey where it is
necessary. The parents are to be blamed IN
such cases, the deluded young men can only
be pited
The JOURNAL has long held that, as Il
last resort, corporal punishment i'll pri-
mary schools is necesSary-this against
the modern notion that moral suasiOn is
as far as the tutor should be permitted to
go.
But the time frequently comes when
moral SuasiOn fails as Il corrective with
an obdurate pupil and, what is probably
worse, fails i'll the sight Of many others
as an exemplary lesson i'll the mainten-
ance of discipline.
What then?
The modern plan is eXpulSlon-a resort
which imposes Il grave responsibility
upon the ,rrong pcopIc-the teacher or
school authorities. Because the teacher
cannot reason with an irrational, or cam
not moralize etfectually with il little
desperate, still stepped in original sin,
the latter must be turned away from his
share III the States educational pro-
vision for all its children.
This, it is repeated, imposes upon the
teacher or other authorities who eXpel,
IL responsibility that i'll no wise inhercs
i'll their Office. Expulsion should follow
only when "thrashing" fails.
To place this responsibility where it
belongs, it ought to be understood in
Wrjtiny upon the advent of each pupil by
the teacher with its parent or guardian
whether, i'll the event of last resort eds
cipline' becoming Indispensable, the
parent or guardian would have pupil
"disciplined' or return from school to
home tuition or no tuition.
This would settle the responsibility
upon the parent or guardian-just where
II p'IohSS iht oI " Illllc NLlth II ''til
look at the alternative presented with
out prOvOcatiOn or heat.
Adverting to another important branch
of educational administration, the pro-
feSSOr said:
A grave danger threatening the public
school systems of our country is the tendency
of making them top-heavy. Only too fire.
quently the main energy is directed to the
development of the high schools. BY their
results the school systems of cities are fire.
quently Judged and consequently, the
the high school and not ont to actual
life. Washington is a striking example
of the development of high schools to
the neglect of primary education. A great
number of children there he says are left
absolutely without training on account of the
over-crowded condition of primary schools
Those who 90 to school are not trained
thoroughly in anything.
So it is i'll large degree in Maryland
i'll Allcgany county. At the behest of
rich people who scheme to get their chill
drcn high-schooled at public expense
there is Il strain after academic and col
legiatc courses wholly foreign to origi-
nal Legislative intent and destructive of
the educational welfare of those who
need it most.
1t is reform on these lines that should