The Irish standard., 1905-09-02

VIC udNS " plCpdAC. Inc lcoCueI WHO
! profits best by the lessons of history
| is the teacher who discerns before
{. their time the things that are to be
I: the dangers that are to take place,
! the new social conditions that are
| bound to arise. However Slowly or
/ rapidly these changes may occur, it
is certain that the child on leaving
school is thrown into an environment
to which he must in some way adapt
I himself-an environment, more con-
stantly presenting new opportunities
and new dangers. If education is to
prepare youth for contact with this
environment, it must build up char
acter, a power of will and action,
strong enough to resist the onset Of
evil, steady enough to pursue the
right amid all temptation. But here
again we are not dealing with pure
chance or mere possibility. Social
conditions and their changes are gov.
erned by law. The science of sociol-
ogy, imperfect rs 1t is just
brought to light many important
truths that have bearing on educa.
ton. And none is more vital than
this: viz, that the school must impart
to the mind of the pupil such strength
and tlexibility that may throughout all
changes in it's environment adhere
| steadfastly to that which is good.
1t is thus evident that he who
| teaches the principles of education
does not keep his vision focused on
| any single point, but rather let's it's
| sweep over over a wide range which
| embraces the science of the past and
so far as may be, the foreknowledge
of the future.
School methods, psychology, biology,
history and sociology, this, you will
remark, is large store of knowledge.
And yet reflection will show that it is
not too large for the professor of edu-
cation. On the contrary, l would say
that such an amount and variety of
| knowledge is necessitatea by the very
| circumstances under which he works
| in the seminary. For, in all probable
| ity, the course in education will be
limited-perhaps to Il single year 1t
must also fit into curriculum which
is already quite full Of important pro-
| fessional subjects. :
given to men whose previous training
| has impaired certain definite modes of
| thinking.
Under such conditions, the main
question for our professor would seem
| to be: How can treat this subject of
! education in such way as to use my
knowledge to the best advantage of
| the students who come before me?
In reply | would offer these sugges-
tons:
First: The professor of education
will endeavor to stimulate his students
| to arouse in their minds a serious
| interest in the subject, to open up
lines of thought which they may fol-
low in their personal study, to ac-
quaint them with the methods of
handling educational problems, and to
| bring to their attention the best lite
| nature on the subject.
Second: He will correlate his work
with the other work that is done in the
seminary by showing how philosophy,
theology, scripture and history abound
with fruitful ideas which need only
be applied in an intelligent way to
| modern education. In this way his
course will become direct aid to the
other seminary courses, because it will
enable the student to cast his knowl.
edge in shape that is both definite
and practical.
Third: He will accustom his stu,
dents to look beyond the surface of
things to the reality, beyond the re.
suits to the processes out of which
these results issue. For it too often
happens nowadays that people, and
SNcA IcetCuc1o, al COAlCnC " SclAo
upon facts without even asking or sus-
pecting how these facts have been
brought about. Like the old-time
physician, they see the symptoms and
prescribe acknowledgement never trace
these symptoms to the underlying
changes in organ and tissue. But just
as modern medicine wins its triumphs
by penetrating into the hidden causes
of disease-the structural and func.
tional changes that lie deep down in
the organisms modern education,
by it's careful study of mental process,
has been able to remedy many de.
fects, and even to set aside as abnor.
NAL certain practices which from time
immemorial had been taken as mat.
tiers of course, as essentials In the
work Of teaching and Of learning, or
| as unfortunate conditions which the
teacher might regret but could not re-
move.
Fourth: The professor of education
will impress upon his students the
| necessity of realizing more and more
completely the true character of Chris
| tian education as distinct from all 9TH
err forms of education. And this means
that we have to consider whether
those who go out from our schools