The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1902-10-23
Professor Keller Writes Article
With Valuable Points.
SUGGESTS PLAN FOR ACCOMPLISHMENT.
Urges Students to be Punctual and Regu'
lar in Attendance Upon Duty
TO MEET EXISTING CONTINGENCIES.
Present Conditions Inadequate 10 Meet the
Needs Of the School Departments
Handicapped in Great Measure.

Handicapped In Great Measure.
There are no public institutions so
near to the people as the public schools.
This is true largely because the schools
are less remote from the home than other
institutions of city, state or nation.
Therefore it is the duty Of the schools to
supplement the training of the home in
developing young men and women to
become good citizens in the highest
sense of the word. There may be as
much difference between the good citi-
zen" and the ''law-abiding citizen as
there is between the free man" and the
slave" The conscience Of the good
citizen" makes him live up to the spirit
of the law and even more-the spirit of
the unwritten law of humanity. The
Flaw abiding citizen" may live up to the
letter of the law, but may do it from
the motive of fear. The law is but a
crude guide for a mans actions, the
truer guide is mans conscience. OF
course it is evident that good citizen"
is law-ahiding; he is that and infinitely
more. His object is not to evade the
law, but to outstrip the law in leading
aiife that needs no such external re-
striction.
With such conception of the citizen
before us, the problem of the school is
clearly set forth in general way-it is
to train for good citizenship. 1t re-
mains then to state in detail what re-
quirements must be met to attain that
end, and how the school, cooperating
with the home, intends to meet this re-
quirement, and in how far it's limita-
tions will permit this. The danger in
moulding the life of the school is this
to lay too much stress on intellectual
development The outcome is failure
to attain two vital requisites a training
of the latent physical powers, either in
dependently or in cooperation with
mental powers, and keen moral con-
science First, word about the latter
which is 30 fundamentally factor of
good citizenship and then word about
the former which indicates the imme-
date need of the school and points the
way to it's future growth.
To give student mind we'll equip
ped with store of knowledge, and.pow-
ers highly developed, but lacking keen
moral conscience is to make him Grim
inal far more dangerous to the welfare
of state and society than the ignorant,
vicious tramp. He is flying the colors
Of the schools, institutions standing for
all that il noble and uplifting, and is
the more dangerous because of his by.
pocrisy. Honesty respect for authority
and law, integrity with respect to con-
duct and work. courage to complete a
task even though arduous, that is, to
take pleasure in exercising the viii,
these are to be sought first because they
are more fundamental than rIere intel
lectual attainments, in the training of a
good student and of good citizen. To
make these fundamental traits the part
of the personality and being of a young
man or woman requires the most pains
taking and critical discipline not only
Oh the part Of The person himself, but,
in the case of student, external forms
of discipline are just as essential in or
der to help self discipline and self con-
troll until these are self sustaining: that
means definitely stated conduct must be
demanded until through habit, it be-
comes a pleasure to do right. These
principles applied in practical school
life would require then, in a general
way, the following conditions: punctual-
ity and regularity in attendance upon
duty, every one to hold himself strictly
to account for work assigned, honesty
and truthfulness in all dealings, gen.
erous respect and appreciation of the
privileges which the common school
system affords, and a deep feeling of
responsibility in regard to the same; for
the state expects to be rewarded for the
enormous expenditure of money. energy
and time by securing loyal and helpful
citizens who shall help raise the stand
ard Of civilization and remove the bonds
of passive ignorance and to clear the
way for free development toward a
higher and more complete life. In the
school these things must be secured at
any price or all else is TO no purpose, and
other teaching has but poor excuse
for arisfinp af all Having aacnrad thia