The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1914-06-10
KEEP cHlLD's MIND GROWING.

u.
Two problems present themselves
today to parents on the farmland in
the city as well-concerning the educa-
tion of their children. These prob
lens may be presented as questions:
az VIII education take the children
from the farm or the business and
give them an idea that they must
seek some means OF living which
does not include work? (2) Is edu-
cation applicable to all children? Are
not some foreordained to labor with
Drawn rather than brain?
These problems constitute fears on
the part of many parents. These fears
are due largely to failure to grasp the
aims of modern education. In 1880, 80
per cent of our people lived in the
| country The home life included most
of the activities that are now delegat-
ed to shops and factories. Then the
wool was grown on the farm and was
washed, carded, spun and woven into
cloth and fashioned into clothing in
the home. Then the vocation of so
per cent of the people was plain work
Only about 10 per cent of the people
ever went beyond the three RS in ed
ucation. This 10 per cent was alb
sorhed by the three estates, ministry,
law and medicine. Later on the print
ers became the fourth estate. But it
was never conceded by the uneducat-
ed 80 per cent of the people that the 10
per cent in the vocations actually
worked The then popular definition
Nf 40 fi,,oI ~ wholly
to manual labor. This definition still
finds acceptance among many whose
vocation is real work.
But conditions have changed. The
professions are overcrOwded--that is.
the four old estates. Practically ell
work is now vocation. There is no
manner OF work which cannot be more
effectually and efficiently done by
trained and educated hands and
heads. The mission Of education to-
day is twO'fold. 1t seeks to meet the
changed conditions. 1t seeks to teach
people how to work intelligently and
efficiently. 1t seeks to open their
eyes to the magnitude of the world in
which they live. 1t seeks to make out
of each individual an intelligent.
capable. we'll balanced citizen. In
short, it seeks to teach people how to
work and how to be happy in the do
ing of any task which it may be theirs
to perform. The real mission of edu-
cation is to eliminate drudgery, which
is state of mind, and exact labor
which in the right form of mental ac-
tivity is a pleasure.
More and more we are coming to-
day to the conclusion that life itself
must be continual school, contin-
ual process of mind and soul
growth. Heretofore we have cluag too
tenaciously to the notion that educa-
ton is confined solely to the class
room. AS matter of fact the school
room simply furnishes the text, eX-
perience in actual operation must fill
in and complete the sermon.
Tile work Of our state colleges
through short courses, in farm inspec-
ton tours. in farmers institutes. in
boys acre corn growing contests and
in other lines is Il noble effort to make
a school out of the whole state of
Iowa and learners of ali our people.
Necessarily this work lacks system
as SCt. bul tAlS SlSuI cuuCdtlOIldt IAlI-
rent Is moving like mighty river to-
ward the sea. And every day more
people are coming in and finding that
the water is fine. And some of the
men and women who are most inter
ested in this work and who are doing
most to push it along are living on
the farms OF southwest Iowa. They
have been caught in the current. They
have seen visions Of new worlds, as
did John on the Island of Patmos.
Their homes have become perpetual
schools and they are students with
the children. This is fine to contem-
plate because it is the ideal toward
which We, are growing.
Life was never more worth the liv-
ing than 1t is in old Iowa in this
month Of June, 1914. This is true be-
cause Of the things we are doing in
these lines, The mission of educa-
ton, we repeat, is to teach the child
to work efficiently and not how he
may get along without work. 1t also
seeks to open the eyes of the child
to the dignity and beauty of the world
in. which he lives. 1t seeks to awak-
en- in him a sense Of appreciation of
the fact that ii he would truly live he
must be servant of his fellowmen.
You cannot make book scholars of all
children any more than you can make