Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1907-05-30
.uRUE'S GERMAN
SCHOOL PROBLEM
MothefTongue Necessary
For Welfare Of
Race

iN IoliONiiiso, CNiuShIis Within w
some one intimately acquainted with
The school, sets forth the status of
Lihue's so-called German school. The
point before the educational board was,
study complied with the law:
The Board of Education discussed
IN application, made under the new
law, by Rev. H. Isenberg for recogni-
ton Of the German school at Lihue,
last week. The members after some
discussion decided to defer action un-
til they would know what they were
talking about, and that was about the
only sensible thing that was uttered
in this connection.
1t is hard for layman, and prob
ably also for the majority of the mem
bers of the Board of Education to
understand for what purpose the law
in question was introduced and passed.
Some claim that it was aimed at the
japanese schools, and intended to Grip
pie the influence they have on the
growing Japanese population. If so
was the intention, it will fail utterly
to do anything Tut convince the public
of the complete ignorance OF the Jap
nnese character on the part of the leg
islators. The few of the children that
we're not attending both Japanese and
English schools prior to the enactment
of the law will now be compelled to do
SO and thereby be better able to COM
pete for the few well paid positions
that are yet left for the original set
tiers.
But no such reasoning can apply to
the German school. The children at
tending this institution may not speak
with such pure(?) accent as those
graduating from our public schools,
but they are certainly able to do it in
quite as grammatical a manner. They
are being instructed by teachers who
nave been fully trained for their call
ing and have the solid foundation of
the German universities back of their
knowledge; who have, besides an eX-
cellent theoretical acquaintance with,
English, the familiarity with it's use
that comes from many years mingling
with English speaking people; who
have assimilated American ideas and
American aims to such a degree that
they have renowned their nationality
und become American citizens. So
much for what may be expected as a
result OF the training received in this
school.
To appreciate the reason for it's ex-
istence one will have to look at its
origin and history little. In the
carly eighties some eight hundred Ger
mans were induced to come here to
Kauai to work on the plantations and
help to- build up a Caucasian popula.
ton. One of the promises given them
WIS they should have the advantages
of German schools and German
churches, of course with instruction
in English as one of the principal
studies. The reason for their insist
ing upon this condition can easily be
understood. A great many of the men
and women who constituted the colony
had never had any instruction in Eng
fish, and were, moreover, beyond the
age when a new language is easily ac-
CURED. They would in most instances
Efter while learn to use English suf-
ticiently well to be able to transact
every day business, but to master the
intricacies of English spelling was in
most instances not attempted by the
older ones. These very ones were the
heads OF families whose children were
within the school age. If they were to
be taught in English they would after
Il while be able to use that language
fairly fluently and then absorb some OF
the lessons. German would not be
taught, and they would therefore not
have any medium of communication
with their own parents, when apart
from them.
BY far the most weighty reason for
the wish to have the children taught
IN German was, however, that instruc-
ton and explanations given them in
the mother tongue, to which they had
been accustomed since infancy, could
be understood, while it would take
years before the children would master
the new tongue well enough to derive
and benefit from lessons given them
in some of their studies. The language
of their homes would in ninety-nine
cases out of a hundred remain German,
owing to the difficulty of the older peo-
pie of breaking from the line Of
thoughts and expressions to which they
have been accustomed from the cradle.
The children would therefore for sew
eral years have at their command a
great many more means of expressing
and understanding thoughts in German
than in English.
The results reached by the school in
fitting the growing generation as use
tul, intelligent members OF an Anglo
Saxon society can be studied all over
the Territory. One may find former
pupils in positions of trust on all the