Evening journal., 1911-03-15
NEW COURSE in
THE SCHOOLS
Representative COnweIl Would
Have the Humane and
Moral Virtues Taught


Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL.
DOVER. Del, March 15.-Repre-
sentative Conwel's bill requiring the
teaching in the public schools Of
manly and humane virtues and of
kindness. and prohibiting vivisection
or experiments upon live animals or
birds in the public schools was pass
ed unanimously by the House yester-
day afternoon
The bill makes it the duty of every
teacher in a public school to teach
the pupils honesty, kindness, justice
and moral courage II provides that
in each school not less than one-half
hour be devoted to such teachings,
including humane treatment and pro-
lection to birds and animals. This
bill prohibits experiments being made
upon niylving creature for the pur-
pose of demonstration in any study
and no animal shall be used for dis
section in the schools, except in the
l
of pupils engaged in the study to be
illustrated.
An amendment in addition to ex-
empting Wilmington, also provides
for the pupils to memorize and recite
to the teachers quotations on the sub
! jects referred to in the bill.
Mr.. Conwell in urging the passage
of the bill made an interesting
! cnnpnh Ia tho rr NH hn
he said:
The primary purpose of the public
/ school is to teach the children Of the
State the three RS I'm order that
they may he able to transact the sim
plest business of life and lay the
/ foundation of additional KNOWLEDGE
and culture. II the pupils sees fit 70
avail himself of the start given him
by the three RS Besides this ele-
| mentary knowledge as much may be
added to courses Of study In the pub
/ lie schools as conditions will Justify
and warrant. Second TO this ele-
mentary knowledge properly come
/ some instructions in morals. For
the moulding OF character Is more inn
portant than advanced knowledge.
Children need instruction IN morals
place, the child is naturally Neak in
these virtues. The boy has been called
a young barbarian Honesty. Sustice
and kindness are not natura2. but
acquired virtues? The Spartan. wo
are told, taught his boy dishonesty
and he acquired It. Animals show
little, If any. idea Of any moral vir-
tue.
"They need It in the second place
because the attainment of these vir-
lures is most important. Which ls
more important-to teach the child
honesty or the 'grindstone problem
in arithmetic? Which is more i'm
portant-to teach the child Justice OF
to name the rivers of Patagonia or TO
learn the difference between smile
and metaphor? When specializing be-
gins, advanced studies can he taken
up.
THE child needs instruction IN
these branches in the third place. be-
cause many do not get It elsewhere
Some say parents should teach these
virtues. But how few parents do
their duty? Some say the Sunday
school teaches them. But probably
the Sunday school does not reach half
I Aht ihINlNl oOllt odN AhdN NnErt
virtues are already taught I'm the
public schools. Possibly they are by
a few teachers, but not by many Some
say that the reading lessons are
sometimes along these lines? But
the reading lesson is often not under
I stood. and reading at best begets but
Ia. single impulse to virture The i'm
preston is ephemeral and soon van
! Al. l.
visions provides for the memorizing
of quotations along these lines. What
Is committed TO memory I'm youth will
often remain through life and prove
to be bread cast upon the waters TO
be gathered after many days The
schools already require declamations
and recitations. At present these Sc
lections are usually made by the pub
lie and are quite as likely to be
trihing as of any real worth. This
bill provides for the selection Of such
declamations by the teacher. in part
at least, along the line of these
moralities.
This bill is neither visionary nor
mollycoddle. The virtues named and
their opposites are not visionary. So
unmollycOddle a man as BENJAMIN
Franklin framed a schedule for the
cultivation of the habit of virtue. As
for vivisection, public sentiment is d.
vided; but probably few think It
should practiced before children.
For the older pupils let the pro-
visions of this bill be enforced mainly
along the line of their declamatory
efforts. The younger pupils can be
reached by the other features of the
bill. | am in the main a conservative
in educational affairs, but consider
this a conservative bill"