The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1915-10-30
EDUCATION
tBy another Reader)
CONTINUED from page Sd

Il
creed that when there were one hun
dred families the people should be
taxed to fit the sons for college and |
university. But that was less than
three hundred years ago. whereas
Germany's educational system is cen
turtles older. I yield 10 no man in my |
admiration OF that great nations a
chievements, but l repeat, to make
such a comparison is unfair Great |
Britain has had compulsory education
less than forty years. Up to the time
when Gladstone succeeded in writing
the Compulsory Education Act into
law. IL was optional with parents
whether their children attended school
or not. readily grant that while Ger
many has only O2 per cent OF litter
acy the United States has 100 times
greater. But what OF that! Has Ger
many received into her national life
million and quarter people each year,
during The past fifteen years, such as
have come TO our shores? People have
come TO us from every land, and the
largest proportion, by very far the
largest proportion, came from the Slav
nations among whom illiteracy is the
, most prevalent. Indeed, so serious has
the question of so many illiterates
coming to us become that Congress
passed two bills providing for a liter
airy test, one Of which was vetoed by
Mr.. TAFT and the other by Mr.. Wilson
Our schools here have had a proper
tionate share OF Slav children and IL
the leaders were not strong, and their
teaching staff able and devoted. what
would be the condition OF this and
many similar communities? Echo ans
wers, What" To the rejecting and
unbiased mind 1t must occur that our
schools have done and are doing yeo-
man service.
But educators cannot do II all. They
need, and must have. the hearty Co
operation OF parents. presume that a
possible scholarship In q university
will prove to be an incentive to am
bilious students, but scholarship in
Harvard will mean nothing to lazy
pupils. of whom, to quot "A Reader"
"all TOO many pupils are lazy" Teach
ers may, and do, enthuse many o.
their pupils, but a constitutional,
lazy pupil in school is like constitu
tionally lazy man at a rock pile, he Ii
an almost helpless case To hold up
scholarship as an incentive TO buckl,
down TO hard work in school Is put
I, ting IL on low plane. IL Is like som,
peoples estimate OF religion; they ar
a religious. not because II Is a VALUABLE
I thing in itself, but an insurance pol
Icy by which to get into heaven. VIVA
: our pupils need to feel is that educa
ton is worth securing for its own sake
! and not for a mere scholarship. If
K scholarship be won. we'll and goot
o but If not, the education acquired stil
remains
8 This writer is not so welded to on
y present methods of school work as {
!, think there Is no room for improve
ment but confess my inability 10 sa
IL how il is to be perfected. ] must b
content to say that school method
= like our state and national laws. ar
q the result Of steady growth. There ar
/. some things in the curriculum of on
schools which appeal to some student
r, stronger than to others but that
u not valid reason why any pupil ma
a select what he likes and discard whi
4 he does not like, for what he does nj
l. like may be essential to a proper ur
e Outstanding OF what he does like. FC
V instance, | wa never In love with I'll
study Of Latin but my teacher I'm
:, pressed upon me the fact that If I a,
sired q fair -derstanding OF EngIis
z. ! must be ve~eed in Latin. whatev,
y. success achi we'd in that study. Il
fact still remained that would rath,
le drive nails into wood.
"A Reader" suggests an importal
IN matter in his claim that no boy
n. girl should be exempt from Manu-
IN Training. ........ and adds. "In son
to schools II four subjects are taken Il
" pupil Is denied the advantages OF In
useful course" I'm other words
" criticised the High School curriculu
OF for lack OF hexibillty. YET he attribu
ed Germany's achievements to h
ce school system, which Is the most rig
ne OF any in the world Perhaps yor
=. correspondent has a concrete case
mind. have not But what OF /