The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-02-13

child not only to become part OF a
vast social machine but to prepare
him to be true and loyal citizen of
orr great free commonwealth as we'll.
II aims to prepare child to over
come all difficulties tnat tend to him
der his material and spiritual pro-
gress; to promote his physical devel
opment by surrounding ilim with sani-
tary conditions and subjecting him to
the necessary physical training; to
cultivate hand power as we'll as intel.
| lectual ability through the knowledge
and skill acquired through manual
training; to instil in the pupils mind
an appreciation of the beauty in ma.
ture and art; to inculcate a natural
| tendency toward the performance of
duty to self and to others; to enable
him to analyze for himself the intel
lectual, economic and political prob
lens of his time, and to give him a
thorough knowledge of, and power to
deal with them as successfully as pos,
sible for his own advancement and
for social service. The education de-
manded by democratic society in mod
ern times must be a preparation for
an active life. The only real prepare
ton for life's duties, opportunities and
advantages is participation in them,
so far as they can be made intelligi-
BILE and interesting to children of
school age, and hence the schools Of
today are providing the conditions for
just such participation as far as pos
sible. Training, with this aim in view,
becomes part Of every pupils life,
from the time of his entrance into the
kindergarten or primary grade until
he goes out into the world to meet
whatever lot awaits him.
Comparatively few people under
stand how radical and how wide
spread has been the revolution that
has taken place in educational meth
DDS the past few years. The great
public school system of the whole
country has been transformed from
one which recognized only the mind
of the child to one which takes cog
ntzance of his soul anu body as we'll;
| rom system which laid its greatest
stress on the attainment of knowledge
in the "three RS" to one which aims
| to fit the child, in body, mind and
spirit, to take his place as member
of society.
The old theory of education based
on the belief that it was necessary to
check all natural impulses of the
child, and force him to learn obed-
fence and self-denial, has been grad
ually set aside and superseded by
newer and saner methods The mod
ern idea of teaching forces nothing
upon the child, but brings everything
to him naturally. It is based upon the
kindergarten system which is in real.
ity miniature world of it's own. Ma,
ture study, direct outgrowth Of this,
brings the child in touch with the
whole world which he sees about him
and teaches him to appreciate and
love the things by which he is sur.
rounded. 1t trains the eye and the
mind to see and to comprehend the
common things of life, and establishes
a living sympathy With everything
that is about him.
In the larger cities of our country
the school buildings of today are be-
ing made more and more into nina
ture words where children are taugh,
how to live. All the actual industries
Of the world, it's shops and factories
as we'll as it's art galleries, museums
and parks, are being utilized as par
of the public school equipment The
children are taken to the shops, the
markets, and the gardens and are
taught the practical relation of these
places to every day life. Nearly ev
erywhere manual training is being in
troduced for the boys to make then
skilled in the decorative and mechanic
arts, while cooking, sewing and do
mestic economy are introduced fol
the girls to help them become capable
and tasteful managers of household at
fairs.
One of the most remarkable effect!
of the new spirit is seen in the disci
pline Of the schools. There is ever,
where greater liberty and fine
moral atmosphere. The needs of TIL
body are satisfied by the kindergarten
and manual training methods supple
mented by frequent physical exercise
In some schools corporal punishment
has been entirely abolished, and dis
, cipline is maintained through volun
!, tary obedience on the part of the pu
pill, thus developing in him a spirit Q