The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-01-10
THE SCHOOL QUESTION

the blood. In short time, its tail
draws in, its legs sprout out, its gills
close up, lungs grow and it hops out as
an air-breathing animal on the land in
a struggle for existence with others of
it's kind and kindred. To instruct the
young in this wonderful metamorphosls
of the frog. is not only interesting but
most instructive. From study of the
frog as type another type of animal
can be taken and studied in like man
ner. Botany can be studied in the same
manner. This, Sir, is what is known in
all teaching as the rigorous scientific
method. How many grown people
know this, and know it accurately
Insects can be studied in the same way
NAh, but you may say, does this
knowledge give any clew to the effort
of making a living? Does it add any
thing to economic production? Does it
produce any more sugar, or bananas
or cotton to the acre?' l have no time
to show the connection of this kind of
knowledge to all other knowledge. /
would say to those ignorant of the facts
to read the life and work of the great
French scientist, who saved the vine
yards of France and their silk industry
from utter destruction. The work OF
kOeDelo IN Cd1IOrIid anu val.
word to the wise is sufficient.
One of the greatest critics, the most
open-eyed, and clear sighted of modern
times was Matthew Arnold. In some
one of his works, my mind does rot re-
call which one, he said that any system
of education should give power for
conduct, a power for knowledge, pow
err for beauty, and a power for social
life and manners.
Now, Mr. Editor, if you or "a Par
emit or all editors and all parents can
make out rational course of study TO
put before the young which small ac~
complish the results of the great critic
as to these powers of education you
will be hailed as heroes by the teachers
and blessing to parents and children.
This is the very question at issue.
What instrumentalities to put into the
hands of the young to develop these
four powers best is a question much
sought by the most advanced thinkers
in the educational world. Many of us
feel in pursuing the usual curriculum
in the primary, intermediate and high
schools a deficiency or an excess How
much time must be given to the I'M
portant'' and to the 'unimportant
branches Who is wise enough to make
a hard and fast line between the impor-
tant and the unimportant? Whatever
seeming alterations there may be now
in the school curriculum, it has grown
unconsciously and consciously as the
best that could be offered. I am willing
to avow that there are defects and eX-
cesses incident to the course. If prop
erly handled by educated, intelligent
and Jealous instructors, it is a vast inn
provement on the course of study or
our fathers and grandfathers. Our boys
and girls, at the present time, say at
the age of from twelve to eighteen,
have a vastly more comprehensive
knowledge of the things that make for
conduct, knowledge. beauty and social
life and manners than they ever had
before.
1 have just read. with much pleasure,
the "reminiscences of Seventy Years,
by Senator Hoar. He has something to
say of the secondary schools and Har-
ward College during his youth and
young manhood. He is of the opinion
that students entering Harvard now
have a far broader knowledge, and a
deeper knowledge of many more
branches than they had in his youth.
They even have a far better knowledge,
far more accurate of Latin and Greek