St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1912-11-02
The Changes In
Educational Systems

4sDe414I1S 14d0 G1lc1lSCu 1lO1C II
the age of changes than the no
ton about what are the object'
and purposes of education.
Of course the fundamentals
the three R~'s"-Readin, Ritir
and Rithnletic-are the founda-
ton of all education, but the pur.
pose of the college course was:
First TT h e acquisition O t
knowledge. whether for strictly
practical or other uses.
Second-The general training
of the mind SO that all its pow
ers may be quickned and de-
veloped as by a sort of gymnas-
tics.
Third spiritua culture in the
widest sense, including the ap-
probation of literary arts, the
formation of arts and holding of
the character.
Therefore, armed with such an
education a youth came out of
college ready to take the study
of any profession or to begin at
the bottom for a business career.
And in earlier times not a few
men embarked in business pur-
suits and attained eminence. A.
T. Stewart, who in his time was
the leading and most successful
merchant in New York, had
studied in Dublin University,
Ireland, started out in this coun-
try as a teacher, but developing
a genius for business embarked
in the dry goods trade and
reached the top IN success and
wealth, and yet with all his bust
ness ENDORSEMENTS one of his
home pleasures was reading the
Greek and Latin classics.
There were many others not SO
but equally successful
business men who had enjoyed
college education and there are
still some left, but they are
growing rapidly fewer. John P.
the leading fnancier in
the United States, whose name
connected with many great
enterprises, some ma
tional, and others worldwide, is
not only an American college
man, but his education was
further conducted in a German
university. That his learning
md culture are still a refuge and
comfort to him from the extern
i've studies and investments in
The fields of arts and antiquities.
My mind to me a kingdom is,
wrote an old-time scholar show
pg the benefit to be derived
rom a liberal education.
But all ideas Of education have
oeen radically changed in this,
,ur day. The object of all school
ng now is to learn something
hat is purely practical, that will
nd US in getting money, which
coming to be the chief object
n Life. As a consequence the
tudy of Greek and Latin has
zen dropped from the regular
curse and they are taught to
hose who specially want to
earn them, and the physical
ciences are taught in their
tead, as this is the era of struct- !
al and mechanical engineering,
and the utilization of !
lectricity. Yet even with the ]
education one gets in the !
chools on these subjects it is {
ecessary to spend a term in the I
and in the laboratory. |
But Of all men to whom the {
Id-style education would be J
seful is the man in public life
no aspires to be a statesman. /
.oWever everything in SCIENCE +
Iay be new, all is old in politics y
nd the science OF government. |,
S far as the principles of pol
teal science Of government are \
,ncerned, all that we know was S
1own to the ancients and was i
1perienced by them. Every {
.rm in the nomenclature of pol
les and government IS q Greek Q
Latin word, and all that is to- Il
" a matter of experiment in T
overnment is so only because {