The sun., 1916-10-22

ne nUVocote0 nave fdllciI into ulSus'.
Pestalozzi was the real pioneer Of the
poor. His theory was that industry.
moral order and practical education
would eliminate evil In society and that
social reform should spring from wom-
ans activity In the home. so that moral
character would he strengthened by fem
mime influence.
Horace Mann was the pioneer OF edu-
cation in America. His efforts we're sue
cessful in bringing about far better Or
sanisation In the elementary schools and
In securing teachers who wee proi"S-
~sionaily trained. lie was a persistent
advocate Of free schools supported by the
people for the people. and he succeeded
In proving 10 the taxpayer that 1t was
both wise n economical to provide for
public education.
hut the mar who did mos, for the
schools OF New York In the nineteenth
and twentieth centuries was Andrew :.
Draper. Hts work brought many prac-
teal results. He II WAS who took the
licensing Of teachers out OF the hands of
county superintendents and Instituted tho
system of competitive examinations To-
teachers certificates, which were issued
by the State. This has accomplished
much toward eliminating the ineficient
and placing our educational system on
n sound professional basis. Yet with
all the earnest effort OF great educators
the schools of to-day are stir. in many
instances. centres Of idlencss. with
dronee for teachers. and pupils Who
look upon the closing he'll as the hap
piest moment OF tie da..
Ont very important reason for the de-
ploia BILE waste of time In Our schools L.
the kin @. textbooks used. Who can
think It strange that n. boy with rcd
blood In his veins and the wholly natural
love for outdoor sports should have tine
thought Of murder in his heart against
the man who invented a grammar devot-
ing forty-seven pages to rouns. twenty
eight to pronouns. thirteen to adjectives.
ten to adverbs. seventy to verbs and one
hundred and forty to syntaN and analy-
sis? We: such a grammar was issued N
1913. and " widely used to-day. \ pro-
lessor In one of our great u, ive-sit'oI
wrote an algebra a few wears ago. +.
was his purpose to make the subject
interesting and attractive. Vt the en-
Of the hrst term one of his students
said There are a few problems In
Lalor's Algebra that Prof. LalJr ard a
few noted men can do thcre are some
that Prof. Labor aid God can do. anl
there are about five Thousand that onl.
Prof. Lalor can do"
Lalor's Algebra is a fair Illustration OK
far too many OF the text books which our
boys and girls In American schools are
compelled TO use. Hobbies. theories and
theorcms carno help but produce dream
ers and idlers. The pupil Eropes In vain
FOR something attractive. entertaining or
really worth while. Al the start n book
of four or Ave hundred pages .s In Itself
unlnviting. and when II Is filled with abb
stract matter--often incolerent and
sometimes irrelevant-the Young mind
can scarcely be blamed for 10, sraspiIg
tho kernel Of truth. Yet even with this
handicap the teacher whose heart Is In
his work will expound the theory OF the
volume in Il way al once 50 simple. so
folceful and 80 interesting that the pu-
pill will yearn for create. knowledge once
ne really appreciates the Dasic purpose
Of the heavy tome. To avaken interest.
to compel attention and to create an at
mosphere Of enthusiasm liz never wholly
impossible with the teacher who Is him
self enthusiastically in command OF his
subject. no mater how ietnargic his pu-
pills may seem at the start.
BY no means do I advocate throwing
way the text book rather would ] EN-
phasise the necessity OF mastering II be-
fore entering the classroom to teach.
Nor am / an advo ate Of the back Ia
nature" method OF EDUCATION. Comenius
followed nature and taiied--as every one
viii! who adopts hts method. In a no.
table degree nature and education are
enemies. Nature avoids EDUCATION. Fol.
low nature" Is a command which Il
obeyed wculd bankrupt our school sys.
tenn and halt progress and development.
Look at India with her
millions Of children following nature by
the roadside In their birthday costumes
Travel the plcasan: waters of thu Nile
ana there behold black giants with dome
like iIexls who are l.ttle more than saw
ages because they have followed nature
Visit Russia or china and observe thu
countless children INIT for employment
who know neither the inside Of books noI
the guiding hand Of a teacher. Truly
We must md some other door than "a.
ture'e at which to lay the blame for de-
fects In our present school system Let
us be honest and blame them on our.
selves. II IL a confession OF weakness
to say, as does Prof. Snyder. that many
faults are attributable to the failure Of
4 previous generation"
>. Education is and always will he in
process OF evolution. Il Is our duty
AZ instructors to build on the founda
lions Of the ~past-to discard that which
Is weak and inefficient-ard 10 realize
that modern high pressure IN cduca-
ton. as in everything else. makes nee.
essary the adaptation OF ouGgg..omi'
methods to present day requirements
II Il is true. as Prof. Thomas :. baker
Of Maryland 80 aptly phrased I: IN a
recent article. that the modern boy "is
: less Of a boy but not more OF a mar
than his father was," II IL an arraign'
ment Of society as we'll as OF educa'
, tion. Boys OF to-day are seldom laugh,
} tho homely virtues. A decreasing mum
} her OF them W. Chores to do. and
fewer still arc taught the principles oI
! self-reliance as were their fathers. Tn
} doubleday sentiment and athletics are
taking increasingly prominent parts II
the lie OF the modern boy to the ex'
] clusion OF a taste for good reading, fin.
!, music n home study.
. Granting II to be true that externa'
q demands upon his time ard thought are
pulling the boy away from the school
Q 1t IL plainly our duty n educators I,
= make his studies OF greater AMI NOR
: compelling interest to the end tina, IN
4 will really want knowledge for It's owI
. sake. That the live. forceful. energeti,
q teacher--the real master OF minds-cal
accomplish this result admits Of M
{ question. II Is idle to complain tina
boys and girls are getting awaA fro.i
Q school influences. II is the teacher
duty and should he his pleasure Il
hiring them back--to make school If
the dominant factor in the student
3 existence-to recreate and strengthen tn
. love of study for study's sake wh!cl
lies dormant In every normal mind.
He teaches best VINO In most Ya,nilia
not only with his text books and hi
. topics but with the master minds q
the ages. the lives. struggles and tr!
n uInphx of the great poets. sculptors. com
o fDosers and painters who left their i'm
4 press on their times and on all time