The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1912-07-04
TERMS: GIN onths Fifty cts.

sequence is we go out into the world
totally untitled to tackle even the
most rudimentary problems.
Take any great man in history
and you will note that his education
is all his own. You may remark
that Julius Caesar knew Latin. but
that was his necessity rather than
his fault. The old idea Of teaching
was not to help people TO get on,
but to enable them to remain in har-
mony with the traditions of their
class. Literal truthfulness was in
sisted upon with a violence which
would have delighted the legendary
George Washington. But masters,
beng more or less men of the world,
must have known that meticulous
veracity would be hindrance rath-
er than a help in after life. They
taught it, much as they did Euclid,
because it affords a mental training.
They also took care to teach it in
way which made it the antithesis of
Imagination, which all teachers re-
gard as the blacklist of crimes.
At public schools the teaching
and molding is done chiefly by the
boys themselves. If one of them
approaches eccentricity, the others
will soon know the reason why.
The masters are there to give me-
chanical teaching to such boys as
care to accept it; only this and moth
ing more. An intelligent boy, more
over, soon discovers that his teach
ing can be of no practical use after
wards. | am not speaking of those
who expect to have to make their
own living, but equally of those who
are intended to amble through life
as judges, diplomatists, soldiers and
preachers. Common sense, lam
guages, history, science and so-forth
are over-shadowed by the dry bones
of the classics, and such barren en-
igmas as the differentlal calculus and
the pons asinorum. What wonder
if ninty-nine boys out of a hundred
90 out into the world in a condition
of helplessness which would be des-
pissed by an Indian?
Some teachers may have become
famous, but that was in spite of
their profession, having no ideas of
their own, they have to fall back
upon the writings of ancient bores.
These sayings are invariably COM
monplace, and are repeated from
generation to generation with the
same monotOny.
There is something radically
wrong. employers, nowadays, want
young men who have some sort Of
experience; how can they get that
experience under the present system
of education? What is wanted is,
a little more attention to the three
RS and less to the classics, but
chiefly technical training. Every
one has a natural aptitude for some
special thing or other, and great
care should be taken to find out how
boys ideas run in that direction,
and train him accordingly. The
| lack of facilities for technical edu-
, cation is to be deplored, for therein
lies the secret of good start in life.
There are men all over the world,
of good family and high standing,
who have an excellent education.
but who are working in menial po-
! sitions. owing to the lack of tech
nical training. A first class educa-
ton may be considered the proper
thing, but does not qualify one to
enter the fields of business.
i Things are becoming more spe-
cialized every day, in every indus
try, and it behooves the young man
! who wishes to get on in this world
: to make himself familiar with the
a branch of industry he wishes to
enter. Good sound common sense,
studious application Of the three
RS and technical training are
8 what is wanted. If a 10y after mas
e tering these essentials wishes to
r take UP classics by way Of a mental
stimulus, by all means let him.
However, believe if he makes him
self familiar with the first named,
t he will find little time or inclination
. for tho Last