The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-08-01
REBEC'S LAST LECTURE
IN SUMMER SCHOOL
Says There Should Be Change in Present
School System and Advocates Shorter
Grammar Course.

years in the secondary course was I'M
psychological. There should be a
change-the boy and girl had now be-
come young man and woman.
The proposition to abolish the col
leges as a whole was impracticable.
Colleges had the momentum OF centu-
ries of history behind them. Besides
the college authorities could never be
induced to vote the adjustment of
their property and traditions.
AS a compromise there was the suS-
gestion that the college course be
shortened to two years. Two years is
not enough to do the business sad
Mr. Rebec. 1.-THE student must be
STEPPED in college atmosphere for a
longer period than that
GIVE THE BOY TIME.
Professor Rebec said that he felt
that a year could be added to the Sec
ondary course and then the college
course made three years. Mr.. Rebec
said he didn't see the need for hurry
anyway, in this day of wealth the boy
should be given plenty of leisure TO
prepare himself for life. He said that
the cockroach and the fly could provide
for themselves the moment they were
Matched, the chicken within a few
hours, the elephant in a long time, but
Cor man it required many years al
ter birth. Mr.. Rebec said he saw no
reason why the time should not be
given the boy for his education. Then
again he did not believe it good
scheme to begin at too early an age
in the professions. No one wanted
lawyer, a doctor or minister under
twenty-four years of age.
LIFE CHOICES.
Under a proper system, The college
course while cultural is not out of re-
lation to the business man in future
life External conditions also exert too
great an influence upon the youth
often it is the fond mother who de-
cides that her son should be great
lawyer, or the father who wants him
for a DOCTOR or perhaps the boy him
self sees how easy some of the pro-
LESSONS are and wants to enter them.
The proper course would be for the
teacher to make observations from
early youth as to the tendencies OF
the child and decide what profession
should be studied. Perhaps there
might be mistakes, but still the choice
would be in close relation to the apti-
tude and practical life of the student.
CULTURE DESIRABLE.
Professor Rebec said that he recog-
nized that the college should have
elective courses so that the student
might choose for himself, and that he
recognized the necessity of a practical
side to a college course. Yet for all
that he maintained apainst the pres
ent tendency that seeks only education
in the practical side of life. Plato,
Shakespeare, the Bible, should be
studied in college, when the youth is
mature in his mind. The central pur-
pose of college course should be Gull
tural, but not so as to preclude atten-
ton to practical and even technical
courses.
FITNESS OF SUBJECTS.
The speaker said he used to believe
that every boy should be given an OPP
portunity to enter college, but he had
come to doubt the wisdom of that
theory. Some are not fitted to take
the secondary course, while. still 9TH
ers cannot take a primary course, and
fewer still are able to grasp a college
course. Every college teacher sees the
class room floor Strewn with boys and
girls who never should have been there.
We should not put a man into place
where he is doomed beforehand to hui
initiation. Often this broke the spirit
of the student who could not keep up,
Oftener Still ne sought refuge IN lHe
flowing bowl.
Professor Rebec also did not believe
the college course to be the end of
higher education and dwelt upon the
advantages of the higher universe
ties and post graduate courses which
he said were being established more in
the United States than ever before.
TRAINING FOR TEACHERS.
In closing Mr.. Rebec referred to
the school of pedagogy, saying recent
ly there had been established schools
for teachers and that teachers could
not be over-prepared in that art. Even
teachers should have just as good an
education as doctors or lawyers. He
said he knew that the community ask
ed little from a teacher, and gave
even less-a mere pittance-but des-
pite that, teachers should always labor
or a higher ideal so that they might
become an efficient instrument in the
work of civilization.
Mr.. Rebec briefly thanked the teach
ers for their attention and the cordial
ity with which he had been received.
He told how enraptured he was with
the scenery, The climate and the peo-
pie, and said this was his first visit
in the tropics. He was given a vote
of thanks by those present upon the
conclusion of his lecture.