The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-01-10
oaper Read Before the M. E.
Mankato Normal Faculty.


ana are Hot caPaDie Vi taxing bhe
needed training. These people easily
become prey to vagaries in religion
politics and society. . 'a.'~r @fal=
The crowding into these preferred
classes is born out by comparison of
the census ofH4s7O and 1900. During
this period Of thirty years the in
crease Of those engaged in agricul
ture was rs per cent, of those in do
nestle and personal service was 1876
per cent, of those in manufacturing
was 1872 per cent, of those in profes-
sional service POI per cent, and of
those in trade and transportation,
800 aper cent. 49,
A few generations ago there were
occupations in the homes which contri-
buted to efficiency, self-reliance, re-
Isoureefuness and initiative in dealing
with the problems of that day.
| Intellectual training, culture, accOmp-
lishments and sedentary life had not
yet been exalted to their present posi-
| tion. Today the situation is re-
versed Children have much idle time,
many temptations to criminality. Par
ents wonder what they can get for
the boy to do during the long vacation
They would be at a loss to know
what to do with him during the re-
mainder of the year were it not for
the school. incidentally he cares for
1.-The furnace. shovels snow and cuts
the lawn. He may also carry papers,
ttake an interest in the gymnasium
land perhaps help during the very busy
| season in some store. Sometimes
There is garden but interest in that
does not often thrive under his en-
vironment. There is more in the home
! for his sister but she is busy with
school work and society. Both are be-
coming more and more nervous and
over stimulated under our artificial
ieommunity life and it is not surpris-
ling that nervous disorders in America
are increasing.
Other important criticisms of the
public school system include the fol-
lowing: Little systematic effort is
made to help the pupil organize his
knowledge Few teachers understand
THE Importance Of this. When knowi-
edge of any given field is poorly
organized it drops out of memory
very rapidly, hence the necessity OF
what are termed in Minnesota "seniol
reviews" President Eliot has said
i that there can be placed in a book OF
a hundred pages all that is worth
while in arithmetic and yet the aver.
lage high school senior who has stu
died it for eight years seems to need
a ''review." instruction fails to take
account of the different types of mind
, President Hadley has shown us that
i there are three types, the scientific
!. literary and administrative. "The boy
who is interested in facts is the one
who has what is known as the sci
, entific type of mind. The boy who
; is interested in ideas belongs to what
) we call the literary type. The boy
| who is interested in affairs belongs
8 to what we call the administrative
TYPE" e '''.''.
II Thorndyke finds basis for three
|, TYPES in the relative dominance o.
{ thought, feeling or action. Is thu
> small number who have the capacity
) for abstract thought in whose interest
j the school is so specialized. 1t is II
u the professional classes that the large
T number of our young men graduate:
}are to be found. The training of ou
L! young women hardly recognizes tha
5 1.-THE chances are four out of five tina
t she will marry. To neither is givei
e the practical training which enables
. ,one to see problems as such and tt
4 devise ways and means for their SO
4 luton. Few teachers understand th'
y teaching of this art in any but
r superficial way. " !
I'll 1t is important to determine TIL
sphere of public education in it's re
: lation to the group of problems, unde
e consideration. A scientific basis mus
4 first be sought for instruction ant
e training. There are three groups o
e forces which have long been recognizes
las educative for children of all age
: and of all races. The first of thes
! includes instincts, tendencies, impulse
land capacities i. c., heredity,, the secon'
: includes the influences Of home, church
G occupations, associates, the press, geo
a graphical conditions, the various acti
: |vities of community life, l. e., envir
$ lonment, the third includes the re
lsponses of the individual to the fore
s igoing. What the individual become
$ depends upon these three. They edu
n icate him.
u 1t should be the province of TIL
$ lschool to direct these forces in it.
e tefort to prepare the pupil for efficient
e tcommunity life. 1t is economy to util
ize them, there are no others thai
J, educate. That which is commendabl'
t ishould be encouraged, The undesir
fable discouraged by disuse, substitu
.ttfon and encouragement Of The better
n instincts are a natural basis for in
. Iterests, habits and activities. Out o
5 1.-THE constructive instinct will easif,
c grow with direction and encouragement
l tpswer and interest in the use of tools
e THAT instinct which leads children be
: ffween the ages of eight and fourteen