The Dickinson press., 1909-04-03

son. who Gave an address on The
Relation Of the School and the Home, .
and State Supt ". L Stockwell Of Bis
msrsk, who fave a brief address, COM
%plimentins the Slope on having 81
aourishins an educational association.
The Congregational boys orchestra and
. male quartet, made up of ]. V.Jessen,
Rev. W. J. Brown. J. i. Hughes and
lB. H. Crawford. gave several pleasing
selections. j. ss
"A social hour followed, with music
BY the orchestra. The Dickinson teachers
served light refreshments in the rooms
Of the Commercial Club and there was
informal dancing downstairs :.
The following is q brief. summary Of
some Of the many excellent points in
Superintendent Bere's address:
In the. first place, the home can help
tho school in q clearer realization of the
fact that in aims and purposes. their
work is one and the same. the develop
ment of all that is highest and best in
character and in 90 directing the thought
of the child toward the school that the
teacher will be considered as q friend
in the best sense Of the word.
The home can also help the school in
the important work of discipline, that
discipline which produces good behavior
and makes for good character. If the
parent cannot always be patient with
the acts Of his own child he should not
be too severe in his %denunciation of the
teacher who may occasionally temper
arily lose self control. The sympathy Of
the parent with the teacher is one of the
greatest needs of the public schools of
today and because. Of a lack of this
sympathy, many an earnest teacher
fails.
In many instances the public school
is the only place where the children are
compelled to obey anything. Where
obedience is taught and enforced in the
home. the problem of school discipline
is an easy one, but where there is a
lack of parental control, coupled with
constant fault-findine with the teacher
who insists upon a proper regard for
authority of the school, the work is
rendered exceedingly difficult.
School visitation is a means to get
the parent and teacher. into closer CO.
operation. The average mother neve
visits the school where her child is
being instructed except when the latter
is in trouble.
THE public school system needs a
closer social relationship between the
mother and the teacher. Teachers are
of a higher personal character today
than they have ever been before and
most Of. them could grace any home"
In the very important work of secur-
ing the application and industry .neces-
sary on the part Of. the pupil to obtain
an education, the help of the home is
an absolute necessity for the success of
the. school. We enjoy so many material
comforts of every kind in these times
that it is hard tosresist the tendency to
conclude that there ought to be some
way of. getting an education without
effort. The school cannot give an
education to anyone. it can only Give
the pupil a chance to work out his own
educational salvation. There are not
and cannot ever be any short cuts to
an education. u 7
1t is difficult to be patient with some
of the criticisms of the schools and
teachers made by persons who think that
all the wrongs Of modern civilization
have their origin in the school room.
It is true. of course, that the schools are
far from perfect No doubt, occasion
ally children are over worked but very
frequently such overwork is' due to the
ambitious parent who drives his child
beyond his ability in order that ad-
vanced standing MAY be reached. For
one instance Of nervous prostration' due
to over work in the grammar OF hiah
school, there are a score due t cigar.
cite smoking or premature entrance. into
society which takes the child out several
nights each week. 'One of the Great
needs Of the age is a lonaer sirlhood
and boyhood."
The success of the country boy in bust
ness is not to be denied. A large
majority of the best and most successful
business men were reared in the country.
It is not mental and moral superiority.
The country boy is trained early in life
to assume responsibility. The, constant
presence of work which must be done is
q powerful factor in his future. One Of
the most valuable things which the home
or the school can do for any child is to
teach him to do the thing he ought to
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