The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-11-05

t0Ing on, would you advise that; the
iementary study of civics in our high
rhools be limited narrowly to the
Tictly governmental activities or
,ould you advise that it be widened
+ fuclude general social activities?' To
his question the majority of answers
irrongly favored a widening of the
scope. Several, however, qualified
their answers and referred to the linn
tied resources of the teacher and pu-
pills. But the overwhelming sentiment
is now in favor Of the widening def1ni-
ton. and this is a good thing.
For Instance, the old fashioned
method of treatment omitted entirely
such vital civic questions as these:
city growth and rural decadence; city
planning; giving away of valuable
franchises by the city; water supply
and sewage disposal: police corruption;
Juvenile courts; commission plan of
city government, city manager ques-
ton = transportation problems and their
solution; child labor; public school
problems( such as board Of control
question, consolidation, finances, medi-
cal inspectionl; growing debts Of
cities; increasing, taxes; reform of
courts and judicial procedures; initia-
tive, referendum and recall; socialism.
Yet every one, Of these questions Is a
governmental question, and calls for
proper legislation and administration.
The modern civics must include these
vital matters. The teacher who does
justice to the subject will manage to
introduce the pupil to these vast prob
len1s. -.s 's.
- Conclusions. o.. --..
: "1,l Caution--A word Of caution
must be said. The pendulum is likely
10. swing too far. The, average teach
er is In danger of widening the scope
Of civics entirel2 ytoo much, so that
every community + activity, whether
social. or governmental, will be in
cluded. This is a. serious mistake.
This would be far worse than teach
ing civics in the old way, for the old
way was thorough as far as 1t went,
whereas q the threatened widening
means g. deadening superficiahty. And
superdciality is a growing menace.
But the critical aspect, of the situa-
ton lies just here !: People are now,
for the first time, getting actual con-
troll Of the government. The. short
term for Judges, the popular election
of United States senators, the initta-
i've, referendum and recall, are. all
tools OF demo cEacy. they are edged
tools d They are indeed tSEoA edged
swords that cut Both ways They ARE
even now befn guseds sunWiseIy as. well
asWfsely. TO cite but one example otit
Of hundreds that are available, our
own good voters: in North Dakota, a
few years ago. had, a referendum Vote
on the question substantially as fol-
lows: Shall we keep the Income OF
our permanent school. fund UP to the
high and wise standard as provided in
the state constitution, or shall we re-
duce this income by 164 2-3 per, cent
and get no compensatihg benefit from
the reduction? And" the voters voted
iS
$1.000.000. .,' : = -,
"The lesson is obvious. If the peo-
pie have thet tools of democracy In
their hands, as; they now are getting
them, then, they must be trained to
use these tools. And this education
must begin in, the> schools, in the
study of civics as there taught. Hence
1t Is essential that the subject be
thoroughly taught, and that its scope
be not twidened beyond the field of
government activities. Any activity
supported by taxation, or in any way
connected with taxation, is a govern
ment activity. =
T"2. Advice-If a teacher has his
doctors degree in political science or
any social science, he can doubtless
organize the material for a good course
in civics.7 For the material must be
properly organized; Hence the average
teacher, lacking the. ideal training for
teaching his subject, will do wisely to
make good text book the back bone
of the course. He, will also xitalize the
course in the manner suggested above.
He will teach civics with new defini-
ton to the word, but not definition
Widened beyond the scope Of govern
mental activities. Since the people
perish for want of knowledge, he. will
make his work thorough; he will give
information; and from this will fol-
low the necessary. stimulation
He would need art for there is no
more subtle power to bind men togeth-
er than the mutual, unselfsh adraira-
tion Of beauty. But in the earlier
stages he would. need few formulated
texts. These scientific texts have their
place only as anlaidt to the pupil in the
more advanced stages Of specialization.
The speaker has never been in favor
Of the multiplication of classes. Out
side of the mere mechanical education
of reading, writing, spelling, ETC., he
has found that more agriculture and
forestry can be taught in geography
class, in in special classes with text
books. He has found that more his
tory can be taught in the literature
class than in special classes with text
found that more history and civics can
be taught as incidental and interesting
knowledge in the geography class even
than in special classes. There, appears
to be no reason but groundIess peda-
gogical superstition for teaching SO
much Of our courses as scientific
wholes from scientific textbooks. The
enrichment of the courses will follow
the movement toward this more peda-
gogical presentation Of knowledge
based on the child's interests and the
child's needs rather than on the logical
arrangement Of the knowledge into so
many shallow sciences. We urge the
teaching of three classes, or rather the
teaching from three fundamental
sources. life. literature and nature. and
from results obtained by this proceed
ure feel sure that therein lies the. So
luton Of the true specialization OF mod
ern education in such a. way as to es-
cape the Scylla of narrow thorough
ness and the Charbydis of shallow
frothiness. And incidentally this
method will relieve the next greatest
fault of our Dakota schools, the, short
recitation.
Discussion by Godward.
DIR. Boyles paper was discussed by
Pres. w "A. Godward OF the New
Rockford Collegiate institute who
said: #
The speaker finds himself in agree
ment with the writer of the paper
both on the inadequacy of the older
and narrower method of teaching
efyics in the public schools and with
the writer's fear of the shallowness
that is likely to result from any at
tempt to teach sociology as a science
III the place Of soiantific d cipics. Since,
however there appears to be little