The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-08-03
Plenty OF Ground to Work on With.
out Interfering With Religious
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
out Interfering
Denominations

The work OF the county superin-
tendentS OF South Dakota when they
adopted at Mitchell the plan for
Introducing moral training in the
schools OF the state, is receiving
much notice at the hands OF the
press. The Sioux CITY Journal finds
that it is possible TO work out the
scheme without interfering with
the work OF religious denominations.
That there is need for the increased
moral training Of the young people
is evident, but whether it can be
done Through tla school system is
another question. Doubtless many
hold TO the belief that this moral
training should be done at home or
is the p%rovince of the church or
Sunday school. That it lis neglected
in the first place and that it is nol
meeting.with the desired success in
the second place seems to lay the
foundation for moral training in the
schools of the state, where SO per
cent OF the children are massed and
will thus be Dl2ught under a more
subjective restraint than can be
secured in the denominational
school. The journal has the follow
ing TO say concerning the moral
training issue to be established in
this state:
a new departure IN school work is
planned in South DAKOTA. The COM
mittee for revising the state course
of study will recommend The institu-
tion OF a course M moral training.
the details of the plan. No one will
question the proposition that the
perfection OF good citizenship calls
There is certainly ground broad
enough FOR work in this line without
tleadins on the preserves of any of
the religious denominations or inter
iering with any of their conscien-
tious scruples. Particular care will
be taken to keep the new course of
study apart from sectarian bias, the
teaching being based ..on 1.-The fundd-
mental principles of morality to
| which all in common Gao subscribe.
America stands in d peculiar posi-
ton in regard to moral training of
its young people Though it boasts
of being Il leader among the Chris
tian nations moral and ethical teach
irg in the public schools is carefully
avoided. 1t stands almost alone in
this respect. 'fhe-.fear seems to he
SO strong i'll the minds of tue people
that something may be taught to
offend o Or another of the multi
tude OF divergent sects that the
whole subject is. passed up. Our
school system has been, it seems,
justly criticised on this score. Even
the fables and good old moral stories
with which our g%randfathers
wrestled have been stricken from
the modern textbooks, and the trend
of schoolroom lore has been more and
more toward commercialism. toward
business success, toward money get
ting and less and less toward the
formation Of perfect. symmetrical
character. Thesschildren have Teen
taught d little OF everything valua-
BILE in the business world, from COM
mercial arithmetic to making Fill
pino straw bats, hut the moral side
of their character has been left out
of the calculation.
The innovation planned by the
educators of South Dakota will be
directed not only at the pupils bat
at the teachers The teachers will
be reqired to make themselves pro-
ticient along the line of ethics and
moral teaching. Even though they
may not succeed in impressing the
direct precepts upon their charges
the atmosphere among the teaching
body will be bettereu. The influence
will be felt upon the pupils with
whom the leaders mingle. 1t is u
new thing that South Dakota is
planning, but it will be watched
with interest by %neigpnoring states,
ana il successful they will not he
long in--copying.