The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-01-15

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attached the greatest Importance. in
the folk high schools. For these sub
jects teachers of power and per-
sonality are chOsen-teachers who
know how to interpret the meaning
of history and make it's teachings
clear; who are able to reveal the
spirit that operated in the life OF a
great man in such way as to make it
react in the lives of those they teach;
who know the truths and beauties
of great books and poems and are
able to bring them within the grasp
of their pupils. These subjects are
presented mainly by lectures. There
is little committing of lessons to
memory for classroom repetition,
but the students are frequently per-
mitted and encouraged to engage in
the freest discussion of the subjects
upon which their instructors have
lectured Everywhere the aim of
the folk high school is not so much
| to impart certain designated
amount Of textbook information in a
prescribed length of time, as to
arouse the intellectual life of the stu
dents, to start new forces operating
in their lives, to make them want to
live more efficiently and nobly and to
teach them how to do so.
Teaching Patriotism.
1t is an inspiring thing to be
present in one of these schools at a
lecture hour. From 50 to $50
young men are seated before the lee
turer They are strong and healthy,
clear-eyed and expectant. AS the
theme of the lecture unfolds, their
eyes light up with interest and un-
derstanding There is little taking OF
notes; every young man listens in
tently that he may catch clearly
every thought presented. Develop
ment of intellect, character and pow
er is taking place under the inf1u-
ence of the simple but forceable pre-
sentation of the teacher. Five
months is short school term, but
it is long enough to inspire ideals
and to give new motives to human
lives. Hundreds of young Danish
, farmers in this brief time have been
so awakened and aroused that the
whole current of their lives has been
stored I'D a vast amount of infOr-
nation, but they have learned the
| value of knowledge and have been
taught how to learn from books and
men.
AS in tile first folk high school at
Rodding the teaching Of patriotism
continues to have an important
place in these schools. The study of
| the history and literature of Den
| mark contributes especially to this
end The singing of folk and patri-
otic songs is also very important
| part of each days program.
In the morning before the regular
work of the day begins, the students
assemble for prayer and song. At
the beginning of each lecture hour a
song is sung, the teacher leading In
the evening also, when the regular
common for teachers and students
to spend an hour in singing.
The patriotic teaching of the high
schools is not of the sentimental or
boastful kind The patriotism of
being true and noble Danes and of
living lives of service in times of
peace is emphasized more than the
patriotism of serving the country in
times of war. The men most fire.
! quently commemorated by portraits
and tablets and statues in the high
schools are men who have rendered
service to the people in social and
economic improvement and moral
reform.
Cooperation in Education.
The folk high schools have not
been established by the government
but are the result of private initia-
tive supported by a strong popular
desire for education. Some of them
owned and controlled by individuals
and others by high schools societies.
These have been aided by gifts and
loans from the people of the COM
munities in which the schools are To-
Gated. They therefore represent the
cooperative effort of the people to
provide for themselves the kind of
education they need. They are in
spected by the government, however,
and when they come up to certain re-
quirements are recognized by the
state department of education and
receive small annual grants from
.