Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-16
CHARACTER IS
EDUCATlON'S AIM
TEACHERS TAUGHT POWERS
AND LIMITATIONS
DR.. KARR APPROVES SYSTEM
ESTABLISHED HERE
Lecturer Declares Heredity Can Do
Much and Environment Assist
Development, but That
There Is Limit

moral character is the aim of edu-
| cation" was DR.. Karr theme in his
third lecture on the Principles of Edu-
cation, delivered before d body of
| teachers at Olive street high school last
night. ontrCibutory to this theme
were his ideas ranged under the three
heads: Organization, Heredity and En-
vironment and reciprocity Between
Expression and Impression.
Under organization he said: The
| system which your superintendent has
established here makes each individual
the head Of his own department. This
idea permeates your whole system,
reaching down even to pupils as shown
| concreteIy in their selt-gOVernment
committees. The idea is the inspira-
tion of the ungraded room, where each
| child is given a chance to expand
! along those lines where his mind has
! been cramped. 1t is the life OF the
| truant scnoOl, where, as Mr.. Ltckley
| says, School is made as much like life
as possible, all the interests of the
boys being appealed to; and of the
| parental school, where school is not
only school, but home, and where boys
! become so imbued with the idea of re-
sponsibility that bolts and bars are
not necessary.
I'm education, we figure on how much
| the power of heredity can do, and
! furnish it with environment for its de-
velopment. The end and aim of edu-
cation is the emancipation of youth
| Nevertheless there are certain llml-
tations in education which must be
/ kept constantly in mind. In the main
these may be viewed under four
| heads:
"(a) Subjective limitations This is
the natural limit and possibility of his
powers, and arises largely from hered-
! ity This limit is to be seen in races
as well as individuals. This difference
ranges from slight differences to the
vast chasm which appears between
talent and genius on the one hand
and the various detectives and weak
! lings on the other. This difference is
recognized in the establishment OF
special institutions for detectives, and
/ it Is said that Germany is thinking
seriously of establishing a school for
| geniuses.
"b) Objective limitation. This arises
out of environment and the means that
may be devoted to a persons develop
ment, as in the home, school, books,
travel, companionship, etc.
"(c) Absolute or arbitrary limit. This
arises from the maladjustment of the
! environment to the developing per-
sonality of the pupil. 1t comes into
reuuisition most with regard to the
promotion and graduation Of pupils.
! AS development is the dynamic prlncl-
ple of education as we'll as of all life,
promotion and progress should marx
| the way toward the freedom of self
realization. To impose arbitrary limits
upon the growing self-active mind is
to prevent, not further, education. Ihe
pdpil should be placed in that sltua-
tion in his class, school, community
environment--which will contribute
most to his development and welfare.
"(d) Formal limitations. 1t is evil
dent that 1t would be impossible for
the most highly endowed person under
/ the most favorable circumstances TO
know all the facts to be known ac-
ouIre taste and skill, and develop
! character to the highest perfection.
The actual content of education is very
| limited, but the form may be developed
well nigh to perfection.
"a pupil cannot learn all the facts
of knowledge, but he can become mas
ter of the principles which those facts
embody, and which may be applied
| to an unlimited number of facts. lie
! can learn how to learn, acquire habits
of observation, analysis and synthesls,
| Induction and deduction, etc. In short,
he may acquire habits of study so that
he can intelligently approach any given
subject for himself, and hope to learn
something about it. So also he cannot
be taught all the refinements or
| taste, or be taught all manner OF
skill, but he can be taught the prin-
| ciples of Judgment, valuation and the
methods of action, so that in his flu
! ture development he may develop his
own taste and skill
an like manner it is impossible to
| learn all possible moral precepts to
! fit every possible circumstance, but
the pupil can become imbued with the
ktrue ethical spirit, so as to be aple
! IN form his own character and dis
position. In this way the student will
become expert in adapting himself to
any and all circumstances. In this
day and age, that man is considered
the strongest who can most readily
adjust himself to a new set of cir
cumstances."