The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-10-20
OF INTEREST |
TO TEACHERS
IN HAWAII
THE DUTY OF THE DAY.

1t is exceedingly difficult to tell what
is new in this world. Especially is this
true of the world of thought Genu;ne,y
find an original thought which has never
been thought before is still more difficult.
THIS truth Is nowhere better exemplifie.i
than in the matter of educational thought.
Those who are forever seeking something
new are forever chasing a will-o' the
wsp. And if perchance they find it they
learn that 1t is so new that it will soon be
old. On the other hand, there is much
that is old which seems endowed with a
kind of perennial youth. 1t keeps crop
ping up from generation to generation
and from century to century, and always
as something new. An Illustration of this
is to be found in our present very latest
and newest doctrine, that it is the pur-
pose of education to teach children 70 get
On in the world, in the broadcast and best
sense of the term. New as this doctrine
is, it was perhaps better stated by SoEn
Milton than by any man who has lived
during the last two centuries. How does
/. come that such doctrines are always
appearing as new? Is it not because
truth never becomes old? However this
may be. the doctrine just stated will be
assumed to be an expression of eternal
truth, and will furnish the basis of
number of discussions in these columns.
At the risk of some seeming lack Of re-
gard for logical sequence, political duty
of education will be taken up first his
is done because of the urgency of the
need which education is now called upon
[, meet. In the annexation of the Ha-
Waiian Islands to the United States, a
large number of new questions have been
thrust upon the Hawaiian voter. To take
part in the solution of these problems and
the answering of these questions is his
me st solemn duty. Thus men who never
lived under city or county government
and who feel their ignorance of the whole
matter, are called upon to vote upon the
question whether such governments shall
b, established. Granting that some such
governments should be established, they
do not know just what form these govern
ments should take. and they have not the
data to form satisfactory Judgment. 1t
Is the part of education to furnish them
the opportunity to gain such data.
This is but one illustration. Even our
lawyers are at loss to draw the line
between the duties of the General and
Territorial Governments. OF course 1t is
not expected that every citizen will pre-
pare himself to decide upon these hne
to acquaint himself with the general out
lines of the American scheme of govern
ment, and the American safeguards of
liberty. Yet many young citizens of Ha-
wall have had scant opportunity and still
more scant assistance for mastering even
this small part of the subject.
Our young men are called upon to afiill-
ate with the Republican or the Democrat
lie party. Yet how many of them know
Just what these names mean and for what
principles these two parties historically
and practically stand? Probably some If
them, who have not yet been filled witt.
the conceit and bigotry of ignorance,
wish help to secure the data on which
to base an intelligent judgment.
Here is the outline of scheme: Let
these who wish the help indicated above
call upon some school teacher or other
person deemed best prepared to give the
required assistance, and let him UNDER
take the work as one of the most serious
duties of the day. Let the
class take the form of a society, club, or
WI ateyer in the individual case may seem
nest desirable. Let regular course of
study be laid down and carried out. For
this purpose some such text book as
Fiske's Civil Government In the United
States should be chosen. AS the subject
o. city governments is taken up, for in
stance, other matters, such as city char
ters, and perhaps special articles by dis
tirguished and able men, could be made
TO supplement the regular text book.
When the Constitution is under discus
sion, our judges will surely be able and
willing to add greatly to the interest and
prefit of the work by supplementing the
text book with lectures. Pickard's His
tory of Political Parties in the United
States or some similar work would be re-
luired on the subject of the political par
ties. And in many cases able opponents
Of the positions of the parties on present
issues can be secured to add materially
to the interest of the study.
This can all be done in such way az
not to introduce politics into the schools
in any Objectionable sense. Probably tho
CT Public Instruction will
grant the use of the school houses as
places of meeting, provided the teachers
chosen and the membership of the classes
is such as to offer reasonable security
that the scheme will be carried out n
good faith, and that the houses will he
only reasonably used. If so, the schools
would be thus connected with the per-
fciniance of one Of the most urgent edu-
cational duties Of the day.
EDUCATIONAL ITEMS.
Prof. Elmer e. Brown writes to ex-
change greetings with the teachers of
Hawaii and to- congratulate them on the
hcnors won at Paris.
The occasion seems especially oppor-
tune for a special effort in the line of ag-
ricultural instruction in the schools. What
is doing in this line? An additional
teacher has been put into the schools of
in the person of a specialist in
agriculture; but the place where such
work would tell most is in the country
district. Although special knowledge of
scientific agriculture is valuable, the
thing CT prime Importance is to turn the
of the children and their par
ents to the possibilities of better living
which lie in the soil. Any intelligent and
earnest teacher can do this to a desirable
extent. Practical demonstration will tell
The Teachers Association of Hawaii is
orora nized tho ha cflllacal