Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1902-11-05

~ that the eyes Of the children were
all the time 80 intently fixed on their books, and
that their minds were 30 thoroughly preOccupied
with what they read in books newspapers and mag
azines, that nothing else Was learned during the
tire schooling process. As consequence arising
from this widespread belief 1t was decided
that the minds OF the children must be directed to
all sorts Of things-such as animals, Birds fish,
plants, forces Of nature, human nature, Soils agr
culture winds, atmospheric phenomena Of all kinds
the various industries and occupations in which
men Of mature years engage; in short that they
must their eyes, ears, nOses hands and feet to
get acquainted in an understanding way with their
total surroundings and to do a great deal Of
thinking the entire dragnet Of stuff thus collect
ed With this broad view Of nature which iuvOlv-
ed turning away from real book study, and fitting
from thing TO another butterdyike, it is not a
matter Of great surprise that there is in many cities
general dissatisfaction with the results thus obtain
ed and strong belief that the children should at
least be taught the essential branches OF a common
school education. From New York, Chicago and
many other cities dissatisfaction is openly express
ed, and the call is, 'FBack to boOks.o
But, it may be asked, what we're the causes for
this reaction in the first placei Two three only
can be referred to in this connection 1t doubt
less true that formerly in too many schools the
children did not really understand clearly what
they trying to get from the books they studied.
What they read was not connected OTganically with
their own experience, and being unrelated, each
item stood alone. This made instruction dull and
unnterestDg. Reaction against routine set in, but
it proceeded upon wrong basis. 1t started out to
make the children work scientifically at all common
things, method of procedure that even the most
advanced classes in high school can do but imper-
fectly.
Another position almost equally untenable was
that the children, whether in town or country, as
they went to school walked about outside Of their
own homes, did not things the fact is that most
children see about as much as grown people, and
they are inclined to look at new and unfamiliar OBJ
ieets very much closely than they do ct their
lessons in their books. This significant fact Of child
nature was entirely ignored, aid it was and is a
stronger factor in the composition OF child mind
than in the minds Of grown people. The new pro-
cess Of endeavOrDg to 0verdO the natural iDquisi-
tiveness Of childhood by stimulating it beyond all
reasonable bounds, resulted in negectiDg the study
of the very thinge that children ought to know.
This iallacy, however did not stop in the element
aTy schools but it has cTept onward and upward in
to all grades of schools, from the very lowest up
through the universities, and there is growing be-
lief that graduates are in too many instances turn
ed out Of schools Of high standing without any solid
attainments of any kind, unless it be those Of an
athletic character.
Athletic exercises are good enough in their way,
but the United States has turned out a large num-
Der OF able-bOdied men without taking them
through a scientific course Of "athletic sprouts"