Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-10-16
AGAIN THE SCHOOL QUESTION.
Teachers and Parents Must Work for
Return to Sanity and Simplicity.
Sylvan County, N. c., News.)

Iii
their day, especially with those to be
reformed, But where would the
world be to-day without its Martin
Luther, It's Paul? Can Mrs. Ella
Frances Lynch, William Hawley
Smith and other public school au-
thorities" Eve quote Mr.. Bok) hope
: to escape?
What difference does it make to
us that lit is fashionable now to
cavil at the public schools!" 1t is
for our children that we are con-
cerned, and 1t is because parents all
over the country are awaking to the
impositions put upon them and their
children that such a wave of criti-
cism Is rising against 1.-The SYSTEM"
Parents, 1t is only when we all
rise and act together that this wave
will be strong enough to beat down
and sweep out all the su]perfuous
teaching of to-day. We do not
wish to go back to the old day of
the "blue-back speller'' and the dull
iS"Nii5 poohS. VIC w
not object to the reading lessons be-
Ing taken from the classics nor arith-
metic being taught by interesting
methods. But why so many books?
The load daily carried by the young
growing bodies is too heavy'a burden
for a grown person. How many
teachers would lug that weight
every day the distance some of the
children have to come?
Many Of the superfuous books are
excellent in themselves-for example
the new text book on agriculture
full Of useful, practical knowledge.
quired to study it will remember
one-third it's teachings? And why?
And why? Because their poor little
brains are overtaxed all the time try
ing to carry all the facts they are ex-
pected to digest and assimilate. Put
yourselves in their places, o, grown
ups! How many of you do such
brain work as they are required to
v Al - HSNS - VI
our children for drawing. The
buoks are very beautiful, and being
somewhat of an artist myself l
should enjoy working over every
page. But to my child, who has no
taste for drawing, it is q bug-bear.
lis your child %straining his eyes and
his brain irving to draw flowers aud
pictures which ne realizes ne can
never get right and his young
hGa vt discouraged WIN the sepso OF
iailurp%
why 40 or allow 't2 why 40
'yom not say MY child shall not be
~oyer-taxed In mind and body?" The
hours are too long and the books are
too many. We pay the taxes that
sup port the public schools; surely we
should have some voice. 1t is all
right to fiji the child's mind with
beautiful thoughts, and no one save
the mother has so potent an influence
on these young souls that are given
into our keeping as the teacher. But
the best things in life are not learn
ed from books. See that your teach
ers are not burdened with so many
books to "go through in a year, and
they will have more time to do JUS
tice to what they do teach.
Yes. we do need for our children
to have a practical education. Senti-
mcnt Is good and beautiful in it's
place, and we need to do all we can
to foster what Is good and noble in
the hearts and lives of our children.
But this is a material world, too,
and we must fit them to do well those
things which they have to do to make
a living. And by spending so much
time on "the limbs and outward
tlou rishes,' we are obliged to slight,
to a certain extent, the deep funda-
mentals. They have a smattering
of many things, but they know moth
ing well.
The teachers and the parents must
work together to get back to simple
ity and sanity. If you, parents, are
like the many, too Indifferent to look
into the work, or toe busy to enter
into your child's life, you will still
go on with the satisfied conviction
chat whatever is, is right" But God
grant hat the day may be soon COM
Ing when we shall sec, and may He
pity the children whom He loved and
blessed and set up for an example
for us to follow.
For after all, my plea is for the
chill dren, because love them-not
mine ONLY Inf .l,illnnA Min Il,nir