The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-07
ECONOMICS IN SCHOOLS.
The Masses should Comprehend In
dustriaI Problems.
From Gunton's Magazine.

lnC MdSScS tOmpEChCAt1 an
dustrial Problems.
From Gunton's Magazine.
Human progress is measured by the
degree in which experience is convert
ed into helpful knowledge. 1t is the
function of science to reduce this
knowledge to working principles, and
of education to present these princi-
pies in teachable form. The institution
which to-day must more than ever be
relied upon to render this important
service to society is the public school.
The efficiency of the school depends
upon the extent to which it impartS
knowledge applicable to the conduct
of present institutions. 1t will be con-
ceded that in our system of education
those subjects have the greatest claim
to consideration which most directly
lead to character making conditions of
life. In the middle ages no education
was necessary for the masses outside
the pale of social and political recog-
milton. AS society developed education
took broader sweep and began to eX-
tend to the middle class. Where gCv-
ernment is in control of the masses,
education through common schools be-
comes of paramount Importance to CIV
ilization.
Fifty years ago we were an agricul-
tural country, with few social md in
dustrial problems necessary 'or the
masses to understand. During the last
thirty years, however. we have become
dominanty a manufacturing naticn.
Our population rapidly tends to the
cities, and in consequence we have
Nalf til
problems-the sweat, shop, housing of
the poor, sanitation, public charity,
immigration, industrial stability, etc.
The same progress has substituted cor
porate for individual industry. creating
the capital and labor problem in new
and intensely active form. The same
change has made the ill-informed citi-
zen much more dangerous than he was
fifty years ago. The growth of corpor-
ations and great wealth has created
among citizens generally a feeling of
distrust. Very largely the people re-
gard the rich employing class as enc
mics of public welfare. This feeling,
brought into politics, amounts to con-
firmed prejudice.
They distrust public officials, and
government seems an instrument in the
hands of the rich to control society in
their own interest. There is much in
the experience of the people with politi-
cal dictators to strengthen the popu-
lar belief that the rich are corrupting
our government, debating public policy
and trying to convert the republic into
an oligarchy. All this is the more
acute because of the problems of power
ty which make up the other side of the
social questions confronting our people.
The public school is one of the great
est safeguards against the threatened
disruption of society growing out of
these problems and social distrust. At
present the great majority of our
youth go to the workshop with no mon
tai preparation for dealing with these
problems. They absorb this prejudice
with no intelligent understanding of
the conditions involved. The possible
consequences are, of course, obvious.
The public school must furnish train
ing on these subjects which lie at the
foundation of our social and national
safety. 1t will be urged against intro
ducing economics into the public
schools that the curriculum is already
overloaded. 1t is simply a question of
what studies should be selected as most
useful to the young citizen. 1t is
knowledge of principles, not collections
of facts, that school education should
furnish. These subjects should be Sc
leCleu WHICH pest serve the average
citizen; which besides affording mental
discipline, furnish preparation for use
full citizenship. From this standpoint,
economics has pre- eminent claim to a
place. 1t will also be objected that
economics is too difficult for young stu
dents, but it is less abstract than
astronomy. mathematics, chemistry or
hygiene. 1t deals with more familiar
objects and matters of greater personal
interest to the student.
The greatest difficulty in teaching
economies in the schools thus far has
been the incompetency of teachers.
Usually with almost no preparation in
this special subject. they adopt the
hardest and poorest method; namely,
setting the student to memorizing
meaningless facts instead of helping
him to understand a few elementary
principles. In teaching economics, the
emphasis should be upon imparting the
simple principles. This will not be too
difficult or complex for the STUDENT Let
educators demand a live curriculum,
higher standard of teachers with ade-
quate salaries, and the public school
will be the ever-broadening bulwark
of progressive industry, free institu-
tions and democratic civilization.