The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-12-20
The Effect On Education OF the
Lost influence OF the Fire>iGe.
CONTINUED from page six).

to the effect that ''the distinction be-
tween meum and tuum is not recognize
ed to the extent that it once was. This
condition IS confined to no particular
section, and We must outgroW 1t
through an unsullied love for the
young nation born at Valley Forge.
I do not under estimate the work
and the influence of the schools, and
7 do not deny that some of them are
coming short of their possibilities; but
the more have studied the education
of today, and tried in my limited way
to honestly investigate the charges
made against it, the more am I con-
=. vinced that the strenuous life We are
living is robbing the home of the in
auence it once had, and that his is
telling upon the child's education. The
child does not hear from his fathers
own lips the stories of great men;
does not hear his interpr citation OF
them; is not constantly pointed to
some high ideal by his father in whom
he should. have the most perfect con-
fidence; does not enjoy the close COM
munion with his father as he should;
and is not given to understand now
much his father is expecting Of him;
and what bitter disappointment 1t Will
be for the child not to measure up to
the standard and to the ideal set for
him by a loving and sympathetic faith
er
If the passion for business and the
straining demands of society are sucn
as to keep the parents from giving
their children the time and consider
alton duly theirs, it is equally true
that they give less attention to the
schools themselves. At no time in our
history have the home and the school
been farther apart and in less SYM
.nathv with each other. Parents who
have neglected the moral training OF
their children still have an inherent
inclination to believe all they say; and
they will accept complaint from them'
and, with little or no Investigation,
freely crMicise the work of the school
room and the general management OF
the whole school. Pupils accustomed
to hear the teacher freely criticised,
and seeing that he is a low salarled
man to begin with soon lose that re-
snect and admiration for him that was
formerly accorded the dignity OF his
pcsi+icn. It is disastrous to the child
for it to lose confidence in the ell
cheney of the teacher, and how can the
teacher maintain the confidence of the
child under heavy fire of intelligent
criticism!
The very freedom of our Democratic
government has to some extent stayed
the progress of education in later
wears. The American born child
scarcely learns to walk before ne be-
gins to question the legality of negu-
aations laid down for him by his su-
periors. It is no uncommon thing to
see a. school master hauled into the
courts for administering a mild, out
much needed, case of discipline. The
case happening q few weeks ago IN
Spartanburg is fresh in the minds OF
all of us. Of course the charges IN
this particular case were groundless'
as thew generally are, and the teacher
was vindicated; but the child and the
parent felt abundantly revenged by
having the teacher brought into the
courts to defend himself. I have as
little patience as any one else with
teacher trampling on the pupils
rights, and they have rights, too, but
this is a rather rare thing, and a teach
er who does it is soon forced out OF
the profession.
Accepting as true the statements
that the child is no longer under tine
influence in the home that it once was,
and that the home and the school are
farther apart today than ever before,
what are We going to do to improve
these conditions? In my judgment
they are the first things that should
receive the attention of those wishing
to improve the present system of edu-
cation. Large enrolment, handsome
school buildings, splendid equipment,
increased appropriations, good summer
and normal schools all play their own
valuable part in the improvement OF
our schools, but no one of them, nor
all of them taken together are worth
as much to the schools at the present
time as the restoration of the 1nnu-
S 1,b;oh tho chi 16 lived IN