Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1909-01-13
BRYAN, TEXAS, JANUARY 10, 1908
AS TO EDUCATION.

There is more humbugery in edu-
cation than in any other one thing
except religion. Religion is the best
thing in the world and education is
next, therefore they are the most
counterfieited These statements may
be startling to some but they are true
nevertheless. The trouble Is, there
, are so many who have no correct
conception of what true religion or
nrue education is, or it seems so TO the
writer, though it is possible of course,
that he may be in error and the major
ity may be right All he claims is
that If he is wrong it is because he
hadn't sense enough to learn, and
that is not his fault. He knows he
has tried hard enough.
The fundamental error is that
learning is education. Learning has
about the same relation to education
that eating has to the growth and
development of the body. All the ed
ucator can do is to supply the young
mind with wholesome pabulum in
such form that it will be agreeable to
the intellectual palate and easy to
digest and assimilate. and to provide
means and opportunities for whole
some and enjoyable exercise. The
appetite and the love of activity are
every bit as natural and universal in
the mind as they are in the body. Chill
dren hunger and thirst for knowledge
Who has not seen the baby, perhaps
only a few days old. gaze steadily at
light or try with its tiny fingers to
catch the sunbeams that filter
Through the lattice. This intellect
ual appetite Of children is called curl
osity and is manifested in thousand
ways. Some parents treat it as a
nuisance and even punish children
for it, Blind fools! No wonder many
children of well meaning parents go
to the bad. 1t is surprising that there
are not many more victims of such |
Ignorance and folly.
Some children have too much curl |
osity just as some have abnormal APP |
petites. In other cases children seek |
for improper and hurtful knowledge
as others crave wholesome food II |
is the business of the parent and !
teacher to restrain these evil tenden-
cies and to provide such aliment |
for the mind as will promote growth |
and increase of strength. But all |
such cases are exceptional and re-
quire special treatment. 1t is not |
right to subject normal children to |
regimen that is suited only to the few |
cases that are particular either be-
cause of some unfor' innate heredity |
or unfavorable circumstances.
In order to be beneficial the acqui-
sition of knowledge and all intellect
ual activities should be pleasurable.
1t is as unreasonable. as unjust, as
cruel to force a child to study as it is
to compel one TO eat The assigning |
of tasks with penalty for non-fulfl-
ment is all wrong. If child fails TO
learn lesson willingly. gladly. it is
either because it is not the kind of
lesson for him or because the teacher
does not understand his business.
Often it is both. Who would not con-
denim a parent who punished a child
for failing to eat every day a pre-.
scribed quantity of beans or any
other kind of food? The same con-
domination should be visited on the
teacher who Furnishes a boy or girl
for failing to work so many examples
or commit to memory so many rules
These are only a few random
thoughts on this great subject. Doubt
less some will regard them as hereti-
cal. but to the writer they are Gods
Truth. If anybody wishes to discuss
this question in the proper spirit and