The Detroit times., 1916-11-14
Democracy In Education
BY OR. FRANK CRANE
Copyright. 1915. by Frank Cranel

The public school is as you say. Mr..
Schoolmaster, a great institution.
But what you teach in the public school
is pretty bad.
The trouble is YOU are still under the
spell of the old scholastic tradition. and
are unconsciously training all the children
to be literary" one way or another.
For those who expect to become doc
tors, lawyers. preachers, teachers, or
authors. this is all very we'll but it is not
the kind of an education for lust folks"
Democracy in education is phrase
we have not yet realized
Democracy in education means that
kind Of training that shall equip every
human being for life II means the kind
every one needs-the farmer, the parson.
the plumber, the banker, the congress-
man. and the railway section hand.
And we ALL do NOT need lot Of
Junk that now cutters your courses and
crucifies your pupils towit, namely:
Latin and geometry These two pillars
Of Jachiu and B0az that So long have
stood NJ the front OF the temple of edu-
cation supper, nothing, are purely orna-
mental, and the temple would bc lighter
z they were removed
What the great American Commons
want TO know. what they need. and what
hey Will suffer and possibly perish if
they do not get. is instruction upon such
themes as follow:
How % be happy How 20 adjust ones
S,lt 20 what happens-to events. TO other
people, 10 misfortune to time, to the past.
90 the future.
How TO get rid Of fear and its by
products, which destroy life the fear Of
success. which is worry. the fear Of love,
which is suspicion and The fear Of power
|'y which is vugarity.
How to eat. How 10 transfer ones
pleasures over from the physical 90 the
intellectual plane How TO use the sex
instinct so as To derive the maximum OF
pleasure and the minimum Of suffering
from it Have you any classes in these
things?
/
alone and happy How to escape boredom.
How 20 use ones thoughts as instu-
reuts Of contentment and efficiency.
Isn't il better 90 know such things than
@ know the answer 10 that hypothenuse
uzze?
How TO do ones duty 70 ones self
How 20 keep well. to be cheerful, and to
we a full life. Also now 70 avoid the dis
aase-nl----ffA+, such as pride pessimism,
and self-pity How 20 be self-reliant, and
20 keep out Of the sloughs of despond,
Complaint and whining such knowledge
would help millionaires as well as pau.
pcrs.
How TO be pleasing to others, IN ep-
nearance. in manner, in voice in all We
20, so that We could live together with
less friction How TO get along with rela-
tives How TO be helpful without med
Hing.
How to have system so as to live
moothly How 10 love simplicity How
TO avoid the superhuous How TO be
happy as We go along. and not forever
postpone JOY.
These things, and not language and
mathematics, are the essentials
These things which are but side issues
in your institution, ought TO be its main
concerns.
These things are wisdom, your readin',
'ritin' and 'rithmetic are mere knowledge
hence knowledge comes but wisdom
fingers in your halls
These things represent the democracy
Of education
Your school is keyed to the exceptional
pupil; it ought to bc keyed to the com
mon. to teach what every human being
ought TO know.