Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-07
COMMENDS PLANS OF
TOWER HILL SCHOOL
DR.. Mirick of Harvard Refers to
Thoughtfulncss of Promoter
Of Local Institution.

~
universities oi the country, Is attract
ing favorable comment, and are heard
with much interest by the friends and
patron. of the school.
Th. first lecture OF the series was by
I5r. Josiah H. PeunIman of the Oniyer-
s,ty Of PENNSYLVANIA, on Jan. 10. Inc
second wSs hv DIR. Edward L. Buchner of
Johns Hopkins University, baltimore,
and the third. gwen last Thursday evening,
was bv DR.. George 4. Mirick OF Harvard.
The fourth oi the series will bc gwen on
March Is, by Miss Patty Hill of Teachers
College, Columbia University, on the
subject. The kindergarten.
Or Niricks subject Thursday was
Putting Democracy Into Education.
During the course of his talk the lecturer
SAID:
There have been discussions in the
magazines of late critical Of private
schools. Some private schools are open
90 lust criticism: so are some public
schools. 4 public school l. not demo-
cratic school Just because IT Is public.
Neither y a private school Of Necessity
undcmocratic In my Judgment our
great privately endowed universities and
many of our smaller colleges are as
semocrs tle as our state universities II
YOU except their entrance requirements.
The life within them Is democratic.
Referring to hls subject Putting
Democracy Into Education, Dr. MiFick
tsid IN its discussion We were not thinking
solely of public schools. hut ot education
type of education suitable for demo
cratic type OF civilization. There are two
tvpes Of education autocratic and
democratic. hc said The autocratio
l. the type that undertakes 10 mould
the youth after Irrational pattern or
cult. Such education Killed Socrates
and put Gallloe 20 the torture; such
education knit tho German people to-
gether under the control OF the liohen-
follerns: II j., IN fact, rrsponsihlc for the
pai hctic and humiliatlng tragedy now
helng staged at Washington. w hat else
could be expected when for hundred
Nesrs and more our schools have been
suhlectng our youth 10 a type Of educa-
tion that is essentially autocratic.
We do not need 10 thcorige about this.
We may find its proof IN our own expert
ence VI here and when and in what
school has anv of YOU been encouraged
TO think for himself. 10 express judgments
az his own, 10 take part IN the deter
mination of the rules OF the school, and 10
share in rho responsibility OF ITS dis
cipline2 " hat child IN our past American
initistive, to face his school life a. a
series of problems for whose wise solution
he was 10 q large degree responsible? lt Is
not 10 bc wondercdat that the present
generation Is relatively helpless IN the
face Of the new situation that has arisen
What IS n that a democracy needs in
its citizens TODAY? First, II needs citizens
who have the scientific mind. That means
a mind that can state clearly Us own pro
blemS, that does not deal IN opinions but
demands facts and forms judgments
from facts whose significance i under
TODD; that Is not swayed by prejudice
but Is balanced in q judicial attitude:
that uses ideals as a means Of under
standing facts. not As ietIShcs and fetters
that controls feeling, instincts, sclf-ln-
ierests, by reason; that l. not closed 10
new truth but r. open and receptive -
the new revelations in religion, sciencc,
politics and business: that thinks IN the
largest terms that are availablc. whose
perspective l. long ana whose honZon Is
broad.
Now II these are the qualities that arc
demanded Ia a citizen IN i Democracy,
they must bc cultivated in the child who
j. tn citizen 20 he. IN the university
e. In the high school" Nes In the clt-
mentary school? lies In tho kindergarten
Yes. In the home? Yes And happily the
schools III this country. IN all grades, are .
the new task
The old method was one OF learning +
lessons The new method Is one Of finding +
and solving problems The problem sets /
the mind TO work at a self-apponted /
task. It develops powers of judgment +
snalysis. suspended judgment Ii sends the /
pupils TO self directed search for facts. In +
the end his conclusions are hrs own. not /
the teachers. There - training in holding /
ones own judgments. but toleratlng the I
judgments OF those who differ In the realm /
az feeling there Is coming over our educa-
tional methods similar change. Likes I
and dislikes are individual preferences. I
And these should be cultivated, not re-
pressed
The problem type OF training is modify I
,ng the life of the school. Moral powers
can grow only IN one wav Just as physical .
r.ouers grow-bv exercise But morality
does not consist IN doing this or that 1t
consists ia doing this or that because II ls
the better wav \ school with only teacher
made rules - All immoral school Aris-
tofle said People are good or bad for
one 81 three reasons ns--because Of nature
pr habit or reason. One who Is good IlIst
because he J. good natured, or because
Il Is "a habit "a DO certain things. iS IN d
dangerous position He falls easy prev g.
itcw forms OF temDt alton Only those who
govern their inStlucts emotions, lnclIna-
tiolls bv reason are relatively strong NOR
ally. The habit ~ establish Il the habit Of
reason We csn begin % form
his habit in children much earlier than
We often imagine.
just here bet me refer 70 Your new
building plans } our provision for ample
corridors and rest rooms Is not wasted
space. Light and air and roominess exert
: subtle influence oil conduct. | have
Snen the beneficial effects Of these IN
iuences N public schools. But your
intelligent provision for light and conlnlo-
dious toilets are especially 10 be COM
mended. II the toilets Of a school are
moral, IT ~ a pretty safe guess that the
school rs moral.
There II one other phase Of democra ic
education that / want 70 emphasize
the place of parents IL former days,
why did parents hold alC0f from the
scnools? For the same reason tnat
German parents have held aloof from
German schoe IL 10 Germany the Kaiser
said, Your children are 10 be educated
10 think and feel aud act % | with In
America the teacher said. This is the
school Your children are sent here to do
what We say. We have type of scholar
,hip In mind by which your children are
20 be fashioned. You cant help. Keep
away. But now that the Kaiser is gone,
'ermasn parents are forming parents
school associations, such a. yours, and in
America tnese associations are multiply
i. I