The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1911-03-30
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
Moral Training in the Publ c School.
wrltten BY Prof. John Trainer.
Continued from last week.


question. Am my brothers keep
err The studies can be started OF
the commercial side. No end of in
terest can be created in the principl,
of mutual dependence by shown,
that practically the whole world co
operates to furnish us the material O
an ordinary breakfast. And wher
once pupil is convinced that no mar
can live unto himself, he will be ready
to follow the effects of evil conduct
where h ey spread themselves
like circles in the water, until they
are lost from sight in the distant suf
ferings of unknown beings, and then
he would be ready to consider serious
ly the question. who is my brother?'
The ideals and principles that un-
derlie noble life are old and simple,
and as easily within.th reach of child
rem between twelve and fifteen years
of age as any of the other subjects OF
study. The moral weakness of our
schools is not due to the incapacity Of
che children but to the fact that moral
knowledge is not carefully enough
grouped around the general principles
10 which the moral facts belong. The
doctrine of evolution has become the
foundation of scientific thinking be-
cause the facts we're marshaed mas
terfully, by Darwin, Haxley and others
in its behalf.
If the work is constantly planned
and given with reference to the results
that are desired, the details of mothod
will take care of themselves. Thou
shall not, is made so familir to the
pupil while in school that he almost
comes to think his name is Johnny
Don't" Rules of conduct have little
effect in giving an endowment of
moral desire Just because the wick
ed life is easier than the virtuous one,
the right training of capacity has more
to do with sound moral than moral
sermonetts. Love of truth does not
grow out of desultory conversation
but out of hard and patient work. The
old bark is most surely broken by the
growth of the new. One of our best
educators has shown how the methods
of our school repress capacity for So
cial service by compelling forty pupils
to study and recite the same lesson.
Emulation and rivalry among the
bright ones, and sense of hopeless
ness among the duller ones. are the
moral influences that are set g,ng
If each could have a separate task, he
would b. making an individual contri-
button This thought involves a
fundamental principle. Uniform les
sons have the same effect as military
drill; both the nerve and the results
OF romp are missing | have re-
peatedly emphasized the fact that the
chief moral work of the schools is to
direct the powers, tastes, and desires.
The tough boy cannot be taught TO
pity birds, but he can be turned into
bird lover being led TO take a bird
census OF the neighborhood and de-
termine their numbers, order of APP
pearance in spring, nesting and feed
ing habits. The little school gardens,
wi h each child responsible for plot,
will cure malicious mishaps faster than
sermons. 1t is the difference between
telling them and showing them. A
boy will NOT step on an angle-Worm
while he watches the rhythmic pulsine
OF the blood along It's back. The sure
way to good feeling is to widen the ho
rizon of the Imagination and deepen
the interest. Membership in little
brass band put the individual where
his regularity. obedience to intsruc-
ton, and cooperation are largely
voluntary in their origin, and the NOR
al results are even greater than the
musical
The recent high-school tendency to
form secret fraternities-one OF the
the results of college influence which
so many thoughtful educators hardly
know how to handle. might, at least,
TO some extent, be made power f)r
good by turning toward the formation
of civic clubs and voluntary groups for
the study of problems that the pupils
will face in earnest later on. 1t would
create links with practical life and
partly obviate the doubtful expedient
ofrepression. We do our best to make
the children patriotic by means OF
flag and drum. Much more could be
done If, as has been suggested, the
organized celebration of the Fourth OF
July, Washington 5 and Lees birth
day were placed in the hands of the
schools and their children. SO much
for setting the natural powers at work
The best friend Of conscience is the
habit of keeping alternate courses OF
action in mind while decisions are be-
ing made. This does not come from
recitine lessons. but from putting facts
face to tace. 1t involves not merely
accepting facts. but placing a value
on them.
But neither the power nor the habit
to do this is likely to come to anyone
who does not, while in school, learn
to refer moral facts shabitually to the
great principality of life. Nothing but
this reflection, based on training, can
help the native human goodness to
work itself out into sound. personal
life 1t is only by making our chill
dren moral thinkers that we can pro-
vide the basis of virtue on which alone
republics stand; that we can correlate
l. ~. l. frn