Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-18
PEACE DAY.
By Frederic j. Haskin.

In public schools in all parts of the
| United States today is dedicated to the
cause of universal peace. Peace day in
| the schools is set aside for the purpose of
| teaching the broad moralities that under
| lie the hopes and aspira lions of those who
pray for the day when there shall be no
| more war. This particular day and this
particular lesson were selected by the
American Peace Society," but the celebra-
ton Of the day and the hearty co-opera-
ton accorded by the teachers is properly
considered a part of the general move
ment for moral education in the public
schools.
The educators OF the country admit that
the greatest requirement of the American
school system is the addition of moral
instruction to the ordinary three RS.
Moral education must be understood in
this sense to imply nothing of the relig
ious or sectarian sense. 1t embraces only
those general rules for character building
which are accepted by all as helpful and
wholesome, without regard to creed or
race
The great diversity OF races and reli-
| g1ons among the public school pupils of
this country and the absolute separation
| OF ecclesiastical and civil authority make
given that would be Objectionable to any
nationality or sect. For this reason Bible
reading is taboo in many public schools.
and in the endeavor to prevent religious
friction. moral instruction of any sort has
| been neglected
| To supply this deficiency without stir
| ring up the old trouble is the object of
| the pre- sc
Observance Put movement for
on Patriotic Basis. ,ion - the
schools. By taking advantage of Peace
day" this instruction may be begun on
| patriotic basis instead of religious
| basis, and the child may be taught mo-
| rality as requisite of good citizenship.
Certainly the lessons today will have
| some effect in correcting the all too
bloody atmosphere of old-fashioned his
| tories
| Not only in America. but In every
civilized country of the world this move
| ment is gaining ground The Italians
have lately issued a new educational
code laying great stress upon moral in
struction in the schools. Hungary re-
Gently has issued an even more detailed
guide for moral instruction. In Portugal.
where the schools are generally under
Il
for moral instruction which is distinctly
different from the religious instruction
provided by the church. This manual has
received the official appreciation of the
Cardinal of Lisbon. In Germany the new
reading books have been especially ar
ranged to include a systematic course
of moral instruction. Switzerland. France,
Belgium. Japan and Russia are all giving
special attention to this subject. At the
last International Moral Education Con-
gress. held in London, no less than thirty
governments were represented.
In the United States for at least ten
years different schemes for moral instruc-
ton have been elaborated in various
sections more less local. but only re-
Gently has there been a concerted effort
to unity them. The incorporation last
March of the National Institution for
Moral instruction and the action of the
Peace Society in having the subject coy
sidered today as a part of the public
school Peace day exercises will no doubt
create much greater interest in the ad-
vancement of moral education in Ameri-
ca during the next year.
One of the most concise and practical
schedules of moral instruction issued by
any country
nYco AJylo ic bot