Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-01-06
PROGRESSIVE SCHOOL POLICY

Editor Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
Sir;-I was more than surprised at
the stand taken by the Hilo Tribune
on the proposed betterments of the
public school system or the big ISL
and. and amazed that Mr.. Kinney, an
editor, who should know and arprc-
Clate tie value Of education, not only
to his craft but to the community as a
whole. which, as this same education
spreads, increases his line OF work and
usefulness, should be the one to place
stumbling block in the path or at.
tempt to erect a barrier across the
line of progression. Such OF position
t. cduCationa! advancement is. to be
expected from those who cannot sec
where return is made for the money
invested in sChoolhouses and in
structOrs. Opposition and grumbling
over expenditures of public money for
school purposes may be looked for
from men Of the stamp and Caliber Of
supervisor OF an eastern city of
about the sixth class, who objected to
the city spending money for number
of gondOlaS for the lake in the public
park, but was in favor Of purchasing
a pair of them and let nature take its
course, and in time they would have
all the gondOlas they could take care
of and feed. 1t is from mtn of that
condensed form of comprehension that
we expect a wet blanket thrown on
propositions of advancement along
educational channels. but not from the
Editor Kinney class
Teaching a country school is not
an ideal occupation at any time, and
much less on the island of Hawaii.
One of the outstanding and most glar-
ing defects of the American school
system is the inadequacy of salary
and accommodation for the rural
school teacher. And this condition
obtains on the mainland as we'll as in
Hawaii.
A neighborhood without school is
lacking in a very essential moral and
social influence for those who will
| shortly take our places and keep this
old world on an even keel. The fact
! that large educational institutions are
located in some other part of the state
| or territory to be taken advantage of
by the young should in no degree less
en- the question of the rural schools
| influence to the limit.
For this reason it is easy TO fall in
to sympathy with an idea advanced by
DR.. Philander P. ClaXton, national
commissioner of education, before the
| fortieth annual session of the Massa-
chusetts state grange of the Order of
Patrons of Husbandry, recently held
| in Springfield, Mass. DR.. Ciaxton pro-
poses giving to every district school
teacher, for his use while acting in
that capacity, a farm of several acres
and a home, in addition to his salary
This, as DR.. ClaXton: views it, would
not only be helpful to the teacher ma
terially, but 1t would encourage his
interest in agriculture and lead him,
naturally, to interest his pupils in the
subject of farming. H.
am of the opinion that Dr. Clax-
toms idea would be most applicable to
Hawaii, as the soil of Hawaii is the
life of the territory.
| If / had nv way, l would have a
schoolhouse on every corner and one
in between, and the teachers should
have the best there was in the land to
make them comfortable. -
The world has witnessed many
strikes of the different trades and pro-
LESSONS, and it can-As truthfItlly said
that, settled or not settled, strikes
have cut but little Importance in the
life of the world, but can Mr.. Kinney
conjure up a mental blue print of the
result of strike Of school-teachers
SCHOOL ADVOCATE.