The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-02-24

in turn, approximate as closely to col
lege standards as they possibly can. 1t
surely does not require Solomanto tell
US that the LOO elaborate Commence
ment represents a waste of time and
resources. College is thereby antici-
pated, and robbed Of something OF its
distinction; and the school takes on
what does not belong 10 its own charac-
Ter and scope.
| Itmust not be supposed here that I
am speaking of higher or lower, OF
superiority or inferiority. Indeed, at
present, I have not this distinction ia
mind. I am thinking only of what is
right for any school to aim at 10 view
| of its circumstances and limitations.
Every school has its own part to play
| in the march of progress-and rightly
done, that part cannot possibly be un
important. The STRIPPING David was
not inferior to the warrior Saul, and
vet the armor of the Hebrew king DID
not suit the daring boy.
No one can be more friendly tnan
myself to any form of real progress
to the new things which mark new
needs arisirs from new conditions and
vet truly believe we lose more than
We gain when we crowd out the regu-
lar course of study, or make it practl-
cally subordinate to fads, for, say,
athletics or manual training, or any
thing else which, however excellent 1t
may be, takes up, perhaps. the time
actually needed for lessons. 1t IS not a
question whether these things are
good; for that they are l would be the
last person to deny. The only ques'
tion is, whether we have time 10 un-
dertak ke them end yet do full justice 10
the course of study. If not, if we make
them principals and not accessories, II
they supersede the mental training
proper which the pupil is supposed to
go to school 10 get, then yet reluciantly
I must class them among the mistaken
aims. I believe that we can better
trust child to procure for himself the
exercise that his physical we'll -oelng
demands than we can trust him TO
master a geometrical proposition, the
binomial theorem, or drama OF
SHAKESPEARE unurged and unalued:
believe, useful as it often proves, tna5
we had better let manual training 60
during the school age at least, tnan
miss the intellectual culture which IS
foundation for all else, and without
which no ore can specialize to the best
advantage-thec culture which through
lust such studies as geography, history
English, mathematics and the "falty
tales of science give the student a
know edge of the great and oeautllul
facts that broaden life. and make hlm
not the craftsman of :. village but the
citizen of a world-"heir of all the
ages n the foremost ranks of time"
1t is my own conviction that IN the
mana cement of a school, teacner
should aim at the positive rather than
at the negative. 1t is mistake TO
tear down so much; we should build up
and construct. Measures should be as
little repressive as possible. The very
best way, indeed. of repressing q fault
is to implant = virtue a bad habit
NAV be overcome with least effort by
encouraging good one TO grow and
crowd it out. Suppose pupil is sullen
and disobedient; if we fight this evil
disposition we may get the victory
only under such conditions IS make It
little worth But if we use our best
tact and skill TO infuse confidence, to
create pleasant, happy feelings, and a
spirit of submission because Submission
is felt to De the best, then indeed we
NAV be truly victorious.
10 aim at a too rigid uniformity IN
ones pupils. as If they were 50 many
uinepins, or machine-made tElnSs sofa
in boxes. is an error. Something: must
in every instance, be conceded to orig
inality. We should not try to reduce
all 70 one dead level. Even our OVID
ideals of perfection ought to some eXtert
10 be adjustable. We should not for
! Get that TO have our pupils perfect &C
coraing to our own particular standards
might destroy their indiyidualism. Be-
! sides, we have to recognize that II
this world good and evil are Inevitably