The sun., 1916-08-27

Catholic education does and must pro-
coed on these lines.
While keeping pace with the prog
ress OF science and art while welcom-
ing every new discovery and every
new invention, while bestowing her
need Of praise upon efficient service.
no matter by whom performed, in the
interests Of true learning, the Catholic
Church never loses sight of "the n
thing necessary" To do so would be
&c prove herself false to her mission.
Catholic education takes the child and
at once impresses upon II its twofold
destiny. thus laying a solid foundation
for whatever development may be re-
Quired by environment and vocation.
There Is nothing vague: there are no
fundamental theories to be verified.
strument Of vision which. SO long as
II Is kept free from the darkening eff
fects OF vice and unruly passion. will
not fail to reveal the vista OF LIES
goal with undimmed c~learness. Teach
ers. courses Of study. methods Of
teaching. equipment. are the formal
and immediate instruments In every
system OF education. What these
should be in this day and in this coun-
try Is the question which, directly or
indirectly. is brought forward for dis
cussion In every convention Of educa-
tors. The teacher comes first and last.
For. nj matter how perfect the meth
Cd. how elaborate the equipment, un-
less the teacher u keenly alive to his
work, unless he II able to vttalixe his
instruction. awaken Interest and some
degree Of enthusiasm. the result Of his
teaching will 10 manifest n the inert
and haccid response Of his pupils.
A teachers efficiency may. however.
be hindered or paralyzed by the sys-
tenn which he Is bound to follow. There
may be such a crowding Of subjects
in q school or college that there Ii
time neither for sufficient cOncentra-
ton by the pupil o for adequate
treatment by the teacher. The remedy
for such Gorging OF young minds and
memories with facts II scraps OF
knowledge which they are as yet quite
unable to digest or assimilate lies IN
tie time honored process OF gradually
developing the faculties by supplying
just such mental nourishment as they
can bear and retain. Moreover, the
pupil should be early taught TO over
come difficulties M not shrink from
n subject because II presents appar-
entity inso.uble problems. The proc
ess of growth Is necessarily and nat
urally gradual. Forcing Is pernicious
and brings on intellectual Indigestion.
TT. h.ar,n ,npatinral trafpinU too anr1v
and before the faculties are sufficiently
trained Is to encourage Quackery and
inefiiciency.
1t Is an encouraging sign OF moro
adequate preparation for professional
studies that our great universities re-
quire a degree In arts before admit
ting students to courses leading to he
learned professions. But since, after
al, the chief vocation OF a student Is
to become n good citizen, we'll grounded
in the principles Of sound morality
and disciplined In its practice, 1t Is
obvious that moral training Is the one
subject that can be dropped
from q course Of studies. For human
nature Is ever prone to rebel against
restraining laws and precepts. No age
0llo AO tohCooiohA = ACAAps t''o
tendency ito kick against the goad."
But II has yet to be proved that mo-
rality can be successfully i~nculcated
and made to work without religious
sanction without the recognition Of a
supreme law giver. who. while ready
to punish the evildoer. Is still more
ready to exhibit mercy and pardon to
the repcntant; nay is ever inviting
the erring to return. This is precisely
the chief raison d'etre of Catholic edu-
cation. The Catholic Church does not
boast Of possessing superior advan-
tages of instruction in secular
branches. Indeed, she Is quite ready
4. learn from any who have a right
to teach. But she does attach supreme
importance to the harmoniZing Of all
studies. secular and religious, so as to
produce at once the highest type OF
Christian and citizen.
1t Is Of course most important that
students should be duly prepared for
their LIES work. Every n has a vo-
cation, a part to play on the stage OF
life. The first thing Is to ascertain
what that part Is. But that is not
discovered at once, and often not al
all, in the earlier stages Of school
work. Appearances are frequently de-
ceptive. Many factors must be con-
sidered: natural ability. mental calibre
hereditary leanings. family influence
and chiefly "the personal equation
The old notion Of Q liberal education
is waning. There is now far too muc