Los Angeles herald., 1905-10-17
TEACH CHILD TO
WORK, NOT PLAY
EDUCATOR ADVOCATES THE
GOSPEL OF LABOR
Dr.. Nathan C. Schaeffer, President of
National Association, Says Only
Savages Dislike Active
Employment

"That theory of education which
gives the first place to the gospel of
play is wrong. Sometime ago the head
of a great university said that II ne
were revising the curriculum of our
educational institutions he would make
It consist more largely of exercises or
play. That made me add to my litany
this petition: From the mistakes of
Chicago, Good Lord, deliver us.
So spoke Dr. Nathan c. Schaeffer
president Of the National Educational
association in his address yesterday
afternoon to the students of the Normal
school and the public school teachers
OF Los Angeles at the Normal auditor
ium.
President Schaeffer and ], N. Wilk-
inson, treasurer of the association and
president of the State Normal school
of Kansas, arrived in Los Angeles
Sunday. They are on the coast to Sc
lect a meeting place for the convention
of the National Educational associ-
alton next July.
DR.. Schaeffer in the course of his ad-
dress. said: "I made a resolution that
If made a speech here I would preach
the gospel of work. Civilized man
works and finds pleasure in work. He
is dissatisfied when he is not at work.
work unless compelled to do so. Some
times when I look at our higher in
stitutions of learning I wonder wheth-
er the students are being trained for
the plays of savages or the work of
civilized men.
Train Child to Work
1.-The child, like the savage, has a
preference for play and a dislike OF
work. If he is being trained for civil
lied life, he must be trained to work
and to find pleasure in work. He must
be trained to stick to irksome tasks.
All play and no work makes Jack good
for nothing.
1.-THE reflex influence of work on the
worker is the great thing for us to
consider in education. If work dis
gusts or fatigues the worker, it is bad
for him. He must be so educated
that he finds pleasure in his work.
''When Investigations into the re-
suits of education in telegraphy are
graphically displayed by means of
curve on a chart, this curve of prog
ress indicates rapid progress at first.
Then for a long time no progress is
indicated. But If the pupil is faithful
during that time when no progress
seems to be made, if the teacher ex-
erts his will power over the pupil to
hold him to his task, presently rapid
progress is again made and the pupil
succeeds in learning the art.
TT is the same way in learning any
language. German, Latin or Greek.
But there is this difference between
learning a language and learning tele-
graphy. There is no final outcome to
telegraphy. but an increase of speed.
Therefore the reflex influence of tele-
graphy tends to degrade man to the
level of a machine. But the reflex re-
suit of knowledge of a language is
good because sthe language gives in
definite possibilities for future intel
lectual development and growth,
through the study of the great works
that have been written in the language.
'It is of the highest consequence to
select a vocation :n which the work
will not degrade the worker to the
level of machine, but open up end
less possibilities of good and service
for humanity.
School children have rights as we'll
as duties. They have a right to be
happy at school. But how can they
be happy if their teachers are un-
happy, If they are annoyed by un-
reasonable requests from their edTca-
tional superiors?
"a child's work should not be made
to be sold in the labor market for dol
lars and cents. The educational eX-
hibit at st. Louis showed some work
so fine that it was absolutely bad be-
cause It represents too great an eT-
penditure of time and energy on the
part Of both teacher and pupil.
New Field for Schools
"In former ages the church and the
state offered the only avenue through
which the geniuses among the sons
of men could exert q moulding in
fluence on their fellows. 1t would not
surprise me if by the end of this cen
tury some educator should be called
has done what formerly could be done
only through the church or the state.
1.-THE little woman who moulds the
character of seven children in her home
or in a schoolhouse is doing a greater
work than the man who piles up a
million. Only in the school, outside
of home, can you find the best oppor-
tunity to influence your fellows.
Teaching is the divine art because
Christ, the great teacher though he
was a. carpenter a physician and an
expounder of the law. finds his fame
in the fact that he sat and taught
the people,"
Treasurer ]. n. Wilkinson also made
an address, in which he said that
man is the only animal which has
the prerogative of the conscious educa-
tion of his offspring, that training adds
value to a man, and that the value OF
n man to society is estimated by the
amount of training he is capable Of
taking. The inherent instinct Of every
human being is to teach someone some