Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-14
CHANGE IN TEACHING
Progress in Half a Century, but Not All
for the Best.
CHANCELLOR ANDREWS ILLUSTRATION
In the Percentage of nit
crates In a Decade-UniGue
School Celebration in New
Orleans-NOtes.

University of Nebraska, has an interest
ing article in the September issue Of Sue
cess entitled The Passing Of Gamaliel."
"Gamaliel" was the old name for the
school teacher who lived in the days Of
Tom Brown, who, Mr.. Andrews declares,
exists no longer. Writing Of the change
that has come down through ages, Mr.. An
drews says:
Teaching Of the special type furnished
by Gamaliel has ceased to be much in de-
mand. However circumscribed Gamaliel's
information might be, he was usually a
very competent expositor OF his subject as
he understood it. Not seldom his thinking
was clear, incisive and strong. lie made
much of system and emphasized the logical
elements of knowledge. In these p%articu-
lars teaching has deteriorated. Too little
attention is paid to the development of
logical mentality or to the 1ogIcal aspects
of mental product. But the cause for the
passing of Gamaliel, which is more to be
deplored than any other, is the wide re-
mission of effort to build character in stu
dents, whether by precept or by insistence
on specially choice character in teachers.
The spirit of science is objective. 1t tends
to remand mere personality to a second
place, not to exalt 1t. 1t is we'll that some
| objectivity has found its way into teaching.
This is one reason why the teaching of
today is, on the whole, better than that of
fifty years ago. But objectivity in teach
ing has gone too far. 1t is due to its en-
trance in force into our colleges that the
importation Of instruction has of late
years become mostwise such a tame af-
fair. There is teaching which simply in
forms and there is teaching which creates.
The one kind conceives the pupil as a re-
| nanfonIa and &c matte &c sEHlI hfNa $50 >
The other kind regards the pupil as a ra-
tional being, and its motto is, Build him
up Francis Wayland, in his best days,
represented the instruction Of power. Now
the instruction of mere importation is in
vogue and bids fair to sweep the field.
There is not enough drill in the class
room, not enough Of resolute grapple be-
tween the teachers and learners mind.
The crib is laid with food, but little effort
is put forth to render this appetizing or
life-giving, still less to impart to the eater
vOracity or assimilating power. Very many
teachers OF high standing. nowadays, quite
repudiate the function of making men and
are anxious solely how they may be true
to the subjects which they teach. They
will compass sea and land to create a
course of lectures, a book. or a system,
but do nothing toward the Infinitely more
piNNiouH 20 VI ptiANNNihS Aht huindu ut-
ings who face them each day in class"
Percentage of HIIterRtes.
The last report on population of the
twelfth census. says the Boston Herald,
contains an interesting statement OF the
changes that have occurred during the last
two decades in the illiteracy OF the in
habitants OF this country. In 1880, OF the
aggregate population Of ten years Of age or
over, II per cent were classed as illiterates;
in the census Of 1890 the percentage of H.
l~lterates was 1873 per cent. which. in the
census of 1900. had sunk to 1917 per cent.
This indicates a steady decline In that class
OF our people who are entirely without
education. This decline is most marked in
the colored race. Thus. in 1880, there were
1901 ,207 colored persons. male and female
living in the United States, OF 10 years
OF age and over, and Of this number 3 1890, SIS
could neither read nor write, thus giving a
proportion Of illiterates OF 70 per cent.
But in 1890 the initerates OF negro descent
had fallen to ST. per cent, and by the
census of 1900 It was shown that a stu
further decline had taken place and that
only AS per cent can now be thus classified.
The number of illiterates among our for
eign white population appears to remain
about constant. In those OF this class over
10 years Of age there were ~ per cent OF
iliterates in 1880. 1871 per cent In 1890, and
1928 per cent in 1900. On the other hand,
among the native whites this limitation
upon intelligence seems to be slowly passing
away. OF the native white population OF
over 10 years Of age. It was found in 1880
that ST. per cent were illiterate. This mum
Der was reduced in 1890 to 6.2 per cent,
and still further reduced In 1900 to 4.6 per
cent. The greatest gain in this last respect
seems to have been made in the southern
states. Thus, for example, in Georgia, In
1885,, 1872 per cent OF the native white
population OF 10 years Of age and over could
neither read nor write. but In 1900 this
proportion had been reduced to i1.9 pei
cent. and the reduction holds true In nearly
all OF the gulf states. In Georgia, In 1880
only 1874 per cent OF the colored pOpula
tion above 10 years Of age could read oil
write, but now this proportion has increased
70 AT per cent. We have given this simply
as an Illustration Of the way In which 6
gradual and highly satisfactory change Il
taking place among our people. Education
is not everything; in fact, a thoroughly
educated man may be an entirely disreput
able character; but IN a free country. wherS
the government depends on the will OF the
majority. Il Is essential that intelligence
rather than ignorance should control public