The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-01-08
Critics of Our Public Schools.

Minneapolis b A deal OIL
loose thinking is being done about our
American schools. 1t outcrops every
where. Not long g it was The
Ladies' Home Journal. Now it is
James ]. Hill. (Incidentally-a rare
Partnership
Mr.. Hill is quoted as saying:
Our common and high schools are
a dismal failure"
OF course they are not a dismal
failure" They are not a failure Of
any kind. They are remarkably sue
cessful and no one knows this any bet
ter than Mr.. Hill. Those who have
heard the distinguished railroad build
er often will know in what manner
he uttered this criticism. He inten-
tionally overstated his opinion-as an
old fashioned salesman would ask
more than he expected to get. Mr..
Hill was establishing a trading basis.
Nevertheless, Mr.. Hill is account
able for what he says, not for the more
moderate opinion upon which he eX-
poets the public mind ultimately to
rest. In the light Of that accountable
ity he must be answered and will be
from a thousand sources and to his
personal discontinue.
The schools lack in accuracy, says
he, "and accuracy is the main essen
tial." Who says so? Mr.. G~radgrind?
| What Mr.. Gradgrind did say was
something very like:
Now what I want is facts. Teach
these boys and girls nothing but facts.
Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant
nothing else and root out everything
else. You can only form the minds of
reasoning animals upon facts"
Accuracy is Of great Importance. 1t
is essential to character, to useful
ness, to thoroughness. And all the
training in accuracy, it is safe to say.
that thousands upon thousands Of
American children obtain they obtain
in the public schools.
But education which spent itself on
accuracy would be a pitiable thing,
Very much what Mr.. Hill and The La
dies Home Journal would have Is Of
fered in Germany. 1t has its refec-
ton in many consequences which we
venture to think will not be without
their interest for these critics.
1t is lowering the physical fitness OF
German children.
It Is making them oyer-deiiberative
and nder-assertiye.
1t has produced the greatest per-
| centage of suicides among children
under 16 years that the world has ever
recorded. b
America?
To be sure our schools r not per-
feet. They have their weaknesses
They can be made better and will
be.
But would Mr.. Hill estimate the
system of American railway transpor-
tation as perfect? What would he
think of the school teacher who after
a summers use Of the Great North
ern's Minnetonka service should pro
nounce u railroads a dismal fail
ure?"
The difficulty with most of those
who criticise our schools is that they
expect too much of the schools. They
expect the rank and fire of humanity
to be made over by a system Of pub
lie education.
A given number Of boys and girls will
inevitably lack that something which
would make them thorough. This
number will be u~biquitously and con
stantly on the hunt for work.. They
will be often tried and often discharg.
ed. Something more than snap judg-
ment will then be required Of Hhard
headed business men not to misjudge
a system of education by those whom
no system Of education could make
competent.
The Beauty and Wonder of the World
John Burroughs, the writer on n
Eture subjects, now enjoying a serene
old age far past the allotted span, has
just published q volume, The summit
of the Years, and this is. what Mr.