Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-11-04

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pairing Tic child for his life and work
The echocl that dsreGards them can
never ind its own place nor help the
child 20 find his.
The educational process is not only
unlimited with respect to the nstru
nlental.ies uy Which it is to be car
rie} on, It is also unlimited with re-
sI"t - lac inc Of it's accomplish
f4ef Il IS mistake to regard child
hood as a period of life set off from
otaar periods as one solely for pre-
paiatian for another period that OF
adnltuod. The things that are to be
{ achieved ny the adult are really be-
etift ~ the period of youth, The hdb-
III. 'toral intellect ual and physical.
t at ere formed nov continue then.
The notion that one changes at his
I ~, 81 any other birthday. his
I ability 10 discharge a task or to face
ard solve q problem Is nistaken
one 10 educational process must
| place q constant aul continual en-
/ phasis On The establishment OF correct
ccaf5ilst ~ The pelad OF youth to the
end that suc!l conduct may be the
n9turl aEd fixed iahit of adulthood.
Esre6 iaiIv must we bear in mind
! tbat this education must be individual
in pJrI osp, The ua6erlying motive Of
all ctr recent educational movements
Is to make tie school fit Individual
n" l. OF course tic school is sup
pn,iad bS tho pathe to serve the pub \
lie n create Il citizenship that shall
be intelligent. responsible and useful.
These qualities however. win not be
found IN society except as they aie
tho Possessions nj is individual mem-
| bcrs- urd soe iets vii grow more IN
| telligoni. mtr.s responsible and mere
useful in the degree chat VIC are allie
| through eHr Varipns instrumcntaHtes
Of cducatioE to make a higher type
Of individual
! apprchrnd that W. shall lind in
/ this motive to make the school lit the
! individual Il leading reason for the
j rapid increase of the schools aetiNl-
L ties. Let us acknowledge that there
I, has been a degree of unwisdom In
| maxim" Hh iitls6s=n pa t"~cta 81 ~
III" now Things ihat have come ia the
schaols However, the necessity of
| having varied stimuli to reach the
| widely differing needs Of children Is
| hardly Ia be denied. unless We at
tetnpt IL argue that the declaration
Of Independence should have punc ulte
sfep farihcr making all Iu"n not Only
IRE. ara r,u3t! but absolutely alike.
| need not cuuneratc the measure
| adopted by the school tp~ help it To-
wards individual service. Special
schools cur deliuqncnts have iscu
| ereitet because society insists that
| those whom environment or unfoftu-
| nate circumstances have turned aside.
| from ConVcntial conduct shall not be
! permanently discharged from their
| service i'm the Industrial and social
army Special classes and schools fol
defective classes have been created
because society says that though 4
| u.an have but one talent-or ever
| less. whatever he has must be turned
to the common good.
| Hand work has come into the
| schools because we are seeing the in
| justice of denying to one who is not
| readily reached by the book thost.
means by which he might be trained.
| Physical welfare work includin. medi-
| cal inspection has become part OF our
| educational policy because experience
| has taught as that before the child
/ can lee trained ne must have a body
| preper1" clothed. fed. and nourished.
and free as possible from physical de
| fects which prevent his contact with
the means of his self Improvement
| In short the purpose OF the Goth cen
| tury school is TO help the individual
! find himself-to know and appreciate
at tl,oir just value his powers and
capacities-to aid him TO train those
| powers TO the task best suited tc
them aud to assist him to find in life
the place where his task may he most
| efficiently and worthily accomplished.
| The pointing CT the individual 10 hi
Opportunity is then one of the largest
| ohlisations o. Il system OF education
whic.l is % serve society by bringing
+ members to efficient service in its
| behalf
There are indeed those who believe
| that t is the purpose Of the schools
to train for culture and for refinement.
| for AZ appreciation of the fine arts;
SO Ia speak. They deplorc the coming
int the school of anything that
savors of industrialism. And Yet VT
are often constrained by the evidence
to believe THAT system OF education
may quite easily work actual harm to
society by training its members ["
want i0IDSS when ttlIy w ia W. dtitl'it
To have.
Education must begin very carly
therefore, to connect with life. 1T be-
comes The duty of the public school
To establish at every possible point
the ehld's relationship to his social
world The school that knows the
most of the physical. mental. and
moral needs of the child is the one
that first of all is in a position to-help
him. Hence we are to have more
rather than less of the study OF Tue
child himself We are to begin@lGl
him and his need. Next to the stsldy
Of the child himself ranks in import
anCe a study of the environment IN
which he lives. \ school cannot be
of real service to the child unless 1t
knows intimately the conditions OF his
daily life. The old-fashioned custom
of boarding around gave to tn
teacher of that time an opportunity
in this direction which the modern