Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-04-19
Fads and Fundamentals.

A fad in education is proper subjet
ever emphasized or subject entirel
). out of place in the curriculum. Doub
II less arithmetic and spelling have bee
IL fads at times in the history of educa
Ii ton. They were fadS because of owe
{ emphasis. Like roller skating or bicy
/ cling they had their period of ascen
& dency and subsequent decline. a fat
:. usually is an instance of much cry ant
little wool. Perhaps one might ven.
ture to say that with some peopI,
manual training is fad, that is. 6
subject tnat IN the mind of the faddIs
looms up too large, subject that is
, out OF perspe ctive. A fad may prop
erly belong in the curriculum, as above
stated, but not b. entitl.4 10 the time
and attention 1t is receiving. The
cure for fads is the thoro and lmparti.
al study of the relative values OF the
subjects in the course of study. The
typical faddist in education is a per-
son OF great eDth husiasm for matters
OF relatively small concern, a person
| of Loo narrow a mind TO see things
| whole, in other words, to see things in
right relations.
The school is organized for the pur-
pose of acquainting the child as soon
as possible with the most valuable race
experiences and achievements for the |
purpose OF aiding him in making the |
most out of life both for society and |
himself. What is necessary for him to
acquire in the way of knowledge and
experience cannot possibly be known
by him at the start, else school were
unnecessary. Society alone. guided by
its educational philosophers and
teachers, Can determine what the child
should interest himself in and spend
nls time at while attending school.
That his first serious attempts In
formal education should be in the di
rection of mastering the arts of com.
no one can seriously
doubt. This, whether the child leans
in that direction or not. The posses
sion of the aforesaid arts is necessary
for the further acquisition of the ac.
c mulated knowledge and wisdom and
technical skill of the race and these
arts are therefore fundamental.
1t really seems that we have lost
b 9TH the art of and the desire for
5horOness in what We do in our schools
of course, numerous worthy
Pupils are coming up to
and, for that matter. passing thru our
higher institutions of learning, who }
are not possessed of organized, related,
lsable knowledge in ANY subject {
Their minds, however, are crowded
20 overfiowing with chaotic ideas up
on many subjects. Question such stu
tents In history, question them in lit.
question them in mathemat-
les, or In science, and it is the same
story. The latest account of a test
comes from Mount Holyoke College.
where the teacher of literature asked
her class of hundred and eighty -four
sophomores (wOmen) some extremely
questions in literature,
such as I'm what century did Haw-
thorne live 7" The questions were all
directly related to college entrance re-
qulrements in this subject. The re-
suits will astound you if you read
them, no matter how pessimistic YOU
may be about the slipshod character
of the work in modern education.
Those who care to refer to it will find
the article in the October Critic.
Concluded next week