The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-01-12

writing shows a want of the knowledge
of the facts: and your statement that
teachers do not teach now as formerly
is a gross misrepresentation, and an
injury to them. II Is my candid opin-
ion that teachers now teach too much.
That they endeavor, metaphoricaly, to
pull or pack along on their shoulders
the lazy and incompetent to make them
equal TO the competent and Industrious.
In an article in Saturdays issue
signed Parent" there is evidently an
earnestness of purpose and an effort to
get at the truth. This parent COM
plains of "a crush of subjects thrust
upon the defenseless child and TO con-
found the important with the unimpor-
tant." There Is truth in this statement.
Eight years are given to the primary
and grammar grades, and these years
are filed to the brim with green frogs,
blue and white sky, the worm that
creeps, the butterfly, ETC."
Now. Mr.. Editor, this parent should
know that there is nothing more inter-
esting to the child than. the frog, If the
birth and life history OF the frog be
presented as il should be. The frog Is
Matched i'm the water from an egg. 1t
is for n certain period practically fish.
1t breathes through its gills to aerate
the blood. In a short time, it's tail
draws in, it's legs sprout out, its gills
close up, lungs grow and 1t 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 metamorphosis
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 ii accurately.
Insects can be studied in the same way.
All, 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
or cotton to the acre." / 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
Koebele in California and Hawaii. "A
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 not re-
call which one, he said that any system
of education should give a power for
conduct, a power for knowledge, a pow
er for beauty, and a power for social
life and manners.
Now, Mr.. Editor, if you or "a Par
ent," or all editors and all parents can
make out rational course of study to
put before the young which shall 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 n 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. l am willing
to ayow that there are defects and eN-
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 OF
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.
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 II far broader knowledge, and
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
and the literature of those languages
at the present time than the youth had
when he entered Harvard. Now, Mr..
Editor, it is not to be denied that COM
bined with much merit, there is left
some fungus of the old system and
some of new growth. l should say HAT
a just criticism would be that unquali-
fled teachers endeavor to correlate
things that have no connection. To
tell sixth grade pupil to go home after
school and find out about Milton ana
his life and writings is of such a ma
ture. The child of that age or even of
much greater age should let Milton
severely alone. When the time may ar