The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-01-07
on EDUCATIONAL TOPICS
State Superintendent Ustrud Present.
ed IL Strong Paper at the Educa-
tional Meeting.

Aberdeen, S. D., Dec. 3O.-Special
At the meeting of the State Teachers
association held here today, H. A. Us
trud superintendent of public instruc-
ton delivered an address on s'What
O'clock in Education?' that came as
an agreeable surprise to the many
friends of the superintendent. He
held the large audience from beginn-
ing to end in the closest attention,
and received the most spontaneous
applause during the delivery of his
address. Prominent educators from
other states who are present speak
of Mr.. Ustrud's effort in the most
f1attering terms as a timely and sug-
gestive contribution to modern ed
ucation.
In his Introductory remarks he
caught the attention of the audience
at once by saying:-
THE aim of all our educational
efforts is. admittedly, to make the
world better, not merely wiser.
Teachers and pupils alike must be
made to e and clearly understand
what all our text books, e%ncycloped-
las and all books of information,
really are for. In our schools we
should not only teach the children to
recite and remember from our text
books. but they should be taught
the far more important lessons of
how to live. To educate boys and
girls to something of far greater i'm
portance than to instruct item. AS
individual teachers and as an edu-
cational association we should there
fore in all possible ways try to make
the general public understand that
we are engaged in a business of far
greater Importance than trade or
manufacture, discovery of invention
or instruction in useful knowledge.
1T is more important because until
people know how to live, all the
learning that may have acquired in
our school will rather be a hind
rance than a benefit to them in the
practical everyday life.
~ maintain, and you will all agree
with me, that We San never have a
real popular form of government in
this country of ours if we fail to
educate our children in our schools
to the point where they realize the
wretched poverty of selfshness and
the unlimited. riches of service.
Without this conception of citizen
ship put into practice our boosted
civilization cannot be lifted to that
higher plane where real self-govern.
ment is secure"
Startling Information.
The speaker startled his audience
in calling attention to the following
data concerning the attendance and
cost of educating the children of
our state:
According to the census at the
close of the year ending June 3Oth,
1908. there were in the state 153.-
$50 persons of school age. OF these
79.162 were boys and 1887 were
girls. About "a per cent or 117,6O9
were enrolled in the public schools
and of this number SO per cent are
attending the country schools. while
81 per cen are enrolled in the indie
pendent districts. Less than 5 per
cent are pursuing the regular high
school course.
Through appropriations and d.
rect taxation the people of our state
have shown that they are cognizant
of the value of an education and are
willing to cooperate with the edu-
Gators in advancing the cause of ed
ucation, not only in the primary
schools but also in the higher insti-
tutions of learning. trrom statistics
at hand we find that the average