The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-04-16

a common fallacy is that col
lection of facts constitute an educa-
ton. The important work is to form
the facts into a philosophy of sue
cessful living. The thinker is spoiled
to make another pedagogue." Our
educational institutions are based
upon ideas that prevailed when the
ordinary man had no mental indie
pendence, the curriculum is that for
priest of the thirteenth century
when prayers were said in Latin, and
the keynote is believe" when it
should be "think for yourself" Edu-
cation consists not of facts but of
mental expansion and that comes not
from blind creduiity in book or teach
er but from a wholesome disbelief
that is not satisfied till it has sifted
the evidence"
"The office of the teacher is not to
impart to the pupil his own knowl-
edge. The object should be to create
an investigating habit of mind, to
foster that mental tendency that
seeks for itself the foundation of
things" Advancement means inquiry
and inquiry means doubt" education
| is not scholasticism but mind develop
ment."
"a teachers certificate certifes to
nothing except that he has been able
to memorize enough data to pass All
examination; it does not prove that
he is broad-minded, and the system is
success in learning the pupil to
copy, memorize and initiate, but a
failure as a means of developing the
mind in creative work, and those
whose means of livelihood depend
upon the PRONUNCIATION of any system
usually become mere retainers or spe-
cial pleaders for that system and by
the bias thus set up are made unre-
liable as judges of necessary re-
FORMS"
"The mind of a graduate resembles
an attic chamber into which is thrown
promiscuously the rubbish of years,
mess that must be gotten rid of be-
fore any real work can be DONE"
Well, no one cares much for old
opinions. As Mark Twain said to the
guide at the tomb of Caesar, eve
don't care about your old dead kings
and corpses, if you've got any live
ones trot 'em out"
Reconsideration only leads me to
say that our educational system should
proceed upon the assumption that the
child's mind is an organism to be
nourished, fortified, pruned and de-
veloped and not tub to be filed.
That discrimination should be exer-
cised between those whose circum-
stances and environment make an ap-
probation of classical education
possible, and those who can not. Edu-
cation need not be wholly unitarian.
Poetry is as desirable as pork-some,
times. But please tell me dear, of
what use is algebra if the pupil does
not finish the higher mathematics.
When went to school, 95 per cent of
the pupils just about got thru algebra
with perhaps nebulous visions of
geometry. How much do they know
about it now. Absolutely nothing. You
say it is mental drill; it is about as
much as deciphering newspaper puz-
zles-merely mental gymnastics.
Of what use to the average man is
his high school Latin and Greek. How
much does it really help him to an ap-
probation of classical literature
There are but few hundred real
Latin scholars in all America and not
! fifty who can use the original Greek
language so as to be understood
do not believe that text books of
grammar or syntax have much to do
with persons ability of expression.
That comes from the general itera-
ture one reads and his all around as
sociations.
But how about those facts and
forces that one meets every day. How
many pupils have a working knowl-
edge of the botanical and chemical
history of the plant life under their
feet. How many can tell the differ
ence between a planet and a fixed
star. These are interesting to any
alert mind, and of value whether one
{ be farmer or mariner. The study
of the interrelated facts of the natur-
al order of the universe is of interest
to any normal mind, and when those
facts are properly presented they are
accepted spontaneously Just as you
give child ball of variegated cord
he will unwind it ALL And the secret
of it is not to arbitrarily tell the pupil
the facts but to skillfully lead him to
discover them. And even an elemen-
tary knowledge of these facts and
forces viii UNNECESSARILY widen ones
intellectual horizon.
On the other hand the arbitrary
forcing of the unrelated elements of
grammar, syntax, photography, and
dead languages into unresponsive and
immature minds is the cause of that
intellectual despair so common among
young pupils, and gives US Shakes
pere's vision of the child creeping
like snail, unwillingly to school.
| Now in closing allow me to say that
the teachers of Ocala might suppose
that all this hot air lately, indicated
public disapproval of their methods.