Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-03-25
AN ADDRESS ON SCHOOLS
BY SUPT. II. B. HAYDEN


The w. c. T. L. of this city met
yesterday afternoon at the home of
Mrs. S. c. Taylor, 90S Twentieth
street. The attendance was unusual
ly large, about sixty ladies being pres
ent. There was recitation by Mrs.
+. j. Richards and refreshments were
served following the formal session.
Supt. Hayden, of the city schools,
addressed the meeting upon the top
ic, The Public Schools as Moral
Factor" The main points in his adj
dress were as follows: The highest
aim and purpose of the public schools
is the development of character. And,
while the work of instruction is the
most obvious work of the school, and
the maintenance of order and good
conduct is important, neither of these
is the highest purpose of the school.
Each child's development finds its
completion in the formation of the
best possible type of character. Char
acter is the true end Of all real edu-
cation. This has been recognized by
the enactment by state legislatures
of laws requiring instruction in NOR
ais to be included i'm the work of the
schools; and by school boards in pre-
scribing more definitely what this in
struction shall be.
Construction in morals includes two
things, the formation of right ideas
and of right habits. Right ideas are
necessary to guide the viii, but right
habits are the product of the viii
itself. The school offers 4 wonderful
opportunity for training Il child not
only into right habits, but into the
choice of right principles. y contrast
was made between the old-timC
school which regarded absolute obedi-
ence to authority as the one great es-
sential. and the school of the present
which aims at building up the pupil
into the power of self-control by
bringing his will into harmony with
the viii of the teacher through right
ideals of proper conduct.
The very organization of the
school requires that many of the fun
damentaI moral habits shall be prac-
ticed 1t is obliged to insist on regu-
larity. punctuality, silent work and
industry; and il was shown that
these. when made habitual in the life.
are very important elements of sue
cess i'm the later active life of the in
dividual in whatever department of
the worlds work he finds himself.
Moral training may be carried on
in the school in three ways-by di-
rect instruction. by systematic train
ing, and by the silent influence of the
moral sentiment created in the school
by the right kind of teacher. 1t was
cited that the opening exercise of
schools should. and usually do, in
clude choice ethical readings from
scripture and other literature. ac-
counts of noble men and women.
stories of brave and fine actions.
golden sayings of great teachers. all
| illustrating elements Of conduct and
character. 1t was shown that the
school readers of today are filed with
the literature that ought to be in
spring to every pupil along moral
lines; that in the teaching of science,
even. there is n wonderful opportuni-
ty for the cultivation of truth. I'm the
simplest object lessons given to the
child the beauty of absolute accuracy
may be impressed by training the
child TO observe accurately and to
report correctly. 1t was shown that
in the study of history the grand ex-
amples of heroism, of self-sacrifice,
of love of country and devotion to
principle, must serve as models TO the
Young and should arouse in them the
admiration of what is true and great;
and that this same study may be used
to arouse the moral judgment as pu-