The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-01
Status of the American Teacher" Is
Reviewed Breezily by Lafay-
cite Bliss.

ment does not fit men and women for their
duties to society he declared. ON the
contrary. there Is a menace In such train
ing, for 1t makes men and women stronger
for evil as Well as stronger for good. The
press is glibly asserting, the world over,
that the right Is with the strongest; that
the big commercial nations have authority
to parcel out among themselves the small
er nations. Such teaching ignores the
moral law, and it is for such teaching that
modern education. which is largely with
out religion, is responsible. !
In conclusion, Mr.. Lind said: you have
heard me spoken Of as an anti-imperialist
in politics, and I am one. It is such con-
ditions that have made me one. But
am not a pessimist. Education has done
much, only we must not let it become
Frankenstein to run away with us. But
like most human problems this one Of
how to bring about the most thorough
moral development cannot be worked out
in advance. The teachers must work 1t
out, term by term, year BY year. Moral
training, Of course, must always be COM
menced in the homes, but it must also be
continued by teachers in schools. More
religion In our public schools would not
| hurt those schools" -;
f. The Teachers Status.
In his paper on 1.-THE Status of the
| American Teacher Lafayette Bliss made
+ a; breezy defense Of his co-workers that
| was much appreciated. He urged that
| the school teacher should be a, leader in
| Social life. and an adviser in the politi-
| cal life of every neighborhood, because
| the position is the most Important public
| local office held in any community
He reviewed the difficulties that beset
| good teachers in other parts Of the coun-
| try, and the potency Of. political and
| religious influence, which happily was
reduced to a minimum in Minnesota. The
educational outlook in Minnesota was
most hopeful, and the status Of the, teach
+ er: had improved much within the past.
| ten years. School boards were retaining
good superintendents and relying upon
their judgment. There was no law relat
| ing to tenure of office, yet Hastings has
/ had one superintendent for twenty three
| years. Duluth one for eighteen years,
Hutchinson one for twenty-one years,
Farlbault one for ten years, Glencoe one
for thirteen years. and Minneapolis one
| for. eleven years. .-,. -.-
i The High Schools Importance.
+ W. G.. Nxe of the Minneapolis CONNER
cial Club. in a paper on THE Importance
Of the; High School In Our Educational
+ System" <safd:cZ 1gsz f. g. So: -
i: 1T must. be, judged from, the stand
+ point of the purposes Of public education
and the extent to which the state should
educate. If the only purpose be to pre-
serve the state against gross ignorance
and ineffciency, then the high school may
be eliminated, for the essentials to pro-
duce that result are taught in@the grade
+ schools. .. II
'"'Education by the state. however, has
higher purposes, namely, to increase the
earning power of its citizens and their
enjoyment of all that is best in life; to
make them appreciative of the institutions
Of state and society; to open to their
minds new fields of. thought and fill them
with higher aspirat ions." This being the
| iey tn
by the state other than the ability of the
people to pay the necessary tax in addition
to the taxes for other essentials.
High schools are important as college
) preparatory schools and are doing tina
3 work we'll. They have given to man,
> could not have sent them to a private
= preparatory school, the preparation nee
= essary to enter college and at the SAM
. time the earning powers to work thei
l. way through college. Preparation for col
: 1ege is not the most important work Of tn
IL high school. A higher value is in tn
> training it gives a vast number withou
;, which they would not obtain. It is tn
! peoples college, and is doing much t.
Z educate the masses, and the strength o
our nation rests largely upon the educa
ton of the common people.
Reports are heard that ordinar
branches of learning are being neglecte
and that graduates Of high schools ar
!. not as proficient as they should be
reading, writing and spelling If this
true, it must be corrected. Much NOR
,r is now taught than form erly which wi
- add to the students usefulness in lif.
>, but the ability to read understandings
>, to write legibly, to spell correctly, mus
~, still be insisted upon. The future de
= mand will be for still broader educatio
~. In the public schools. Our nation has be
at come a leader in commerce and manufae
f. turing as we'll as agriculture. Our schoo
- must furnish instruction in industri
r. work; commercial dsages,' and especial
must the girls be taught domestic ecor
of omy.
to is anything In this land whose cours
. should be progressive. it is the system
at education. There is progress in every lir
- Of human endeavor. The cause of ed,
cation should be kept in the vanguard"
wi W. A. sperry Of Owatonna, in a pap
r. on the Importance of School Boards
tv said they should be an authoritative eel
a. ter Of educational affairs, and that men
= bers should be distinguished for the
r. moral character, their culture and the
: success in the business world. He ais
in answer to Mr.. Nye, declared hirnse
not at all in favor Of fads, but very n1u,
in favor of the three RS which
lconsidered were being very much neglec
-, ed In modern education.
Protest From the College.
The total ignoring Of any place III t
80 educational system for the denomination
~ college in the address Of DR.. w. w. Fl
.ts well on '"The Progress Of Organization
IL before the, college section brought forth
nv spirited protest from the Representative
aIs of denorninational colleges. Dr.. Folw
a. advocated the utilization Of the comm
or school, the high school and the state III
ID versity In one grand pyramid-like instit
,ce ton, where rich and poor, alike could ]
"a ceive instruction free Of charge. Fl
M procedure would evidently do away "
,,lf the denominational college
ice President George FL. sBridgrnan of IIa
sc. line university, however. called attenti
civ TO the fact that the denomination
schools must be taken into account, a
ts that as they have maintained their pc
ton for over hundred years. the burd
Of defense rests upon the state suniver
at ties which are innovations and are
liar trial.
ter Meetings were also held of the scie,
lge. and Latin round tables, the county sup
yer intendents and the music section.
,g's s ~. 80
in Last Nights Reception.
ton The general reception last night at
Inc Inc Ryan was attended BY 1900 guests.
&, n r r.