Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1912-02-23
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY %, 1912.
M odern Education

the past twenty years has seen IN many
respects pertaining to it, there is no
subject concerning which wider diver
sity of views exists: no matter more
unsettled in scope or policy; no ques-
ton over which controversy is more
keen and spirited, than what system and
what methods it is best to pursue in
training the young for their duties in
life. Almost no two persons agree, and
it is hard for one person to agree with
himself for anv protracted period.
Especially at present is the whole
subject in most unsettled state,
mari ed by novelties and innovations
that few years ago would have been
regarded as almost suicidal. This con-
dition has invaded elementary, second
airy and collegiate departments alike.
1t amounts to a revolution. Whether
it will continue in the direction indi-
Gated, or whether there will be a rever-
sal and complete or partial retracting
of steps to the old ideals, no one can
say. There are many educators OF pro-
gressive, even radical tendencies, also a
liberal number of professionals, conserva-
tives and reactionaries, who differ as
classes on the main issues and with
each other as individuals on the details.
The result is a mixed situation, with
every prospect of further controversy.
The old idea of limiting public in.
struction very closely to the realm OF
theory and the development of the in
tellect through methods that promised
culture and.1capacity has been rudely
shaken of late by the Goths and Van
dals who havestumbled the sacred heir
looms of tradition and established a
new order whose prime motive is prac-
;ical efficiency and applied training.
Greek aud Latin, philosophy, and the
higher mathematics have been forced
to give ground to such heather and pro-
fame subjects as manual training, do
nestle science, business courses, and
technical branches So eager is the on.
slaught that the old idea is almost
fighting for its very life, and fear is en-
tertaned lest it be engulfed altogether
III what its advocates regard as per-
verted and debased conceptions of true
education When we see leading uni
verslties dropping the requirements of
Greek aud cropping the Latin that led
to the A. b. degree we may understand
how far the northern barbarians have
penetrated the Temple of the Vestal
Virgins. The rush of students to the
practical and technical departments in
all institutions that afford them and the
trend away from the strictly cultural
proves conclusively which idea is now
uppermost in popular favor.
For one, we do.not view the. change
with misgiving, If the current is too
strong, the good sense of modern
thought can be trusted to right it. That
the time was ripe for turning away
from the established order we have no
doubt Nor do we question as yet
the nature of the results bound to flow.
Ii there are some losses in certain direc-
tions, there will be counterbalancing
gains in others, with an almost certainty
of net uplitt.
Formerly, the output of the educa.
tional system was one-sided. Schools
and colleges turned out a product OF
highly cultured intellects. These formed
the mental aristocracy. They led in
thought, letters and philosophy. The
great mass paid them the Difference due
their attainments, and went about their
own common tasks of gaining iveli-
hood III the way their fathers had. But
times have changed in these later days,
due. largely to social and economic
movements, and the aristocracy of erud.
ition is being invaded by "plebeian
horde whose claim to merit is what
they can do in material way for the
advancement of mankind. These are
OF different, possibly coarser, mental
fibre, but not less useful to the world
They are our inventors, our civil, me
chanical, electrical and sanitary engi.
heers, our physicians, our captains Of
industry, our business princes, yes, ever
our politicians who become statesmen
after they are dead. Many of then
have risen with little book education OF
scholastic culture. But they all appre
clate the great value of text instruction
combined with applied practice. The,
want to train their sons and daughter
in the lines they have found usefu
themselves, or in kindred lines. Ac
cordingly, there comes from highl,
influential quarter a demand for practi
cal education.
From large proportion of the gen
eral public this demand is seconded
Their children perhaps haven't tn
capacity to grasp the classics. There
no promise in feeding them Latin an
Greek. Yet, as supporters of the pull
lie school system and as patrons of I'll
higher institutions these parents fe