The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-31
RELIGION AND
MORALS IN
SCHOOLS
Views Of Superintendent
Poland on Subject in
His Report.

pOrtance OF the subject, discussion Ol
which is constantly increasing, Super
intendent-A. b. Poland of the public
schools. in his report for 1907 to the
Board of Education last night, gave his
views on moral and religious education
in the public schools. He thinks the
present system of instilling moral
principles is the best adapted to the
country. This part of his report is as
follows: .
The formation of character is the prime
duty of education. OF the many different
factors that combine for the same end, the
school is but one, though a most important
one. For the formation of character both
moral training and religious training are
generally held to be necessary.
IF the school were the sole agency of
education, provision would need TO be made
by the State for both moral and religious
training. But, as I have said, the school
is only one of many agencies; other I'M
portant agencies are the home, the church,
the Sunday school, the press, and. in gen
eral, the child's social and spiritual en-
vironment.
Under such conditions the best results
can be obtained only when these several
agencies are working comparatively and
tremendously for the common end. Each
agency should aim to supplement and to
enlarge the work of the others. There
should be no diversity of aims: no opposi-
ton OF processes; no conflict of means.
THE work OF the home should strengthen
and support the work of the school: the
work of the school should prepare the soil
and to a limited extent plant the seed for
the work of the church. This 1t does when
It organizes and establishes habits of right
thinking and of correct moral conduct.
Sc all the other factors in the educa-
lion OF the child should strengthen and
support the work of the home. the school
and the church to the end that all the
agencies or factors In the child's training
may accomplish, each in its sphere, the
highest results.
I'm the development Of the American
public school system all these factors have,
IN the main, worked together harmonious
~; hence, In a large degree, the unpar-
alleled success attained.
In the absence of an established church,
rengious training of a sectarian character
has never been considered a proper func-
tion OF the State. This task has been left
TO the home and to the church. But train
ing in moral conduct has always been CON
sidered a function of the school.
This teaching, as a rule has not been
formal and theoretical, but eminentiy prac-
tical. 1t has not been thought necessary,
or desirable, that the school should enter
the theological or philosophical field to
teach the basis or sanctions of morals
Besides being too abstract and philosophi-
cal, the diversity of beliefs as to the basis
of moral sanctions makes it unwise for
teachers to enter this field.
I'm teaching. for instance, honesty and
truthfulness 1t Is rarely necessary for
the teacher to go further than to appeal
to the child's conscience. Is it right to
s1nar,en ! have WEB never eSe in many years Of
boy in a public school who was disposed
to answer in the affirmative. The answer
Is always no.
From this starting point of moral
teaching the child's conscience, the lessons
Of experience can be taught without an.
peal to or discussion of the sanctions OF
warrant for the moral precept.
DOUBTLESS religious teaching at homC
or in the Sunday school has furnished the
sanction in most cases. Whether the true
basis OF morals is religious, utilitarian
~onis social, or other, is or may be
important to the adult who has reached 6
stage of intellectual development enabline
him to reason and to Judge for himself
but the attempt to establish a basis fol
child's mind would ordinarily be fruitless
ut Is enough for the school teacher that
the moral principle is implicitly recognized
and accepted by the child.
Starting from this point In what way
does the school train most effectively ir
moral conduct? The personality of the
teacher is first of ali the most potent
exempli1ed in his daily conduct of the
school, his honesty, sincerity, t%ruthfulness
courtesy. kindness and charity, his appre.
citation OF and love for the true, the good
silent but powerful influence in moldine
the character of his pupils.
again, the government and discipline OF
the formation Of character. Promptness
obedience, self-abnegation, ~self-sacrifce
social equality. sympathy, necessary coop.
eration-au these virtues and moral att.
tudes are e~ngendered by the necessities u
school discipline. These lie at the founday
ton OF character, and these the school,
more than any other agency, is best quail
if1ed to supply.
1T is assumed, of course, that the schoo,
is governed and disciplined in such a man.
ner as to bring out and to perfect the
moral qualities mentioned above. The
school where the discipline is low or weak
In which the dominant motive is fear o.
punishment, selfish reward or unrestrainet
competition; in which the personality Of
the teacher is low. or mean or ,uninspiring
In which results are measured neither by
exact or by honest standards; in which APP
proval is based not on merit but on capric,
such a school Is not and cannot be {
good nursery of morals.
Fortunately. in most schoo systems
such schools and such teachers are rare
Boards Of examiners and employing schoo
boards are putting greater emphasis thai
ever before on the personality of thu
teacher. The spirit of the teacher, the at
mosphere of the classroom, the general go
cial and ethical conditions of the schools
are rated by official Examiners as o
greater Importance than the intellectual
attachments of the class.
'"The studies pursued in the school af
IOru Qdliy opportunities TOT moral teacn
ing. The stories told in the kindergarten
fall on the rich soil of the child's imaglna
! ton, and excite ideas of right conduct, to
gether with appropriate moral feelings
And the effect IS greatly heightened be
cause of the child's social surroundings.
To witness the response of others t
the ideas and emotions of the stor!
greatly enhances Its moral effect. The bio
graphical stories told and read by the chill
dren in the several grades afford, also
much material for moral training.
Children by nature are hero worship
ers, hence the care to be exercised ii
selecting for them proper objects of her
profusely through the pages of history
The great military heroes as Hannibal
Caesar, Napoleon. Washington. Grant, ap
peal strongly to boys of all ages but char
acter formed exclusively on such ideal
would be one-sided and unfortunate.
THE great social and religious benefac
tors of the race should also share thei
admiration and love. SO, also, the grea
discoveries like Columbus, Magellan, De
Soto and others, who ave braved DANCE
and death in extending our knowledge o
the world and its people. Inventors who's
tions OF the world, great artists, painter
n musicians must enter the intellectua
and emotional life of the pupils. All thes
Influences are highly effective in the train
ing of character.
IA still greater factor in character train
ing is the literature read in the schoo
Fortunately, the amount OF reading mai
ter furnished to pupils In the schools ma
been greatly augmented In recent year:
Poetry, In which our language is excep
tionally rich; stories suited to all age
and .tastes-all yield a rich fruitage ]
moral training.
"Nor~ must we lose sight of the mora
value OF proper training in the sciences