Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-05-07
MISS MARGARET T. MAeulRE
On the SplrItuai In the Schoo,

"TIIE three RS and the matsrialistic con.
ception of public education are
doomed" believes Miss Margaret Mcguire,
principal of Mccall School, Sixth and De
Lancey streets. :.
"A few evenings ago a group Of business
men were heard to discuss the inadequacy
Of the school in achieving what they con,
sidered the world had right to demand
= from the schools in the way of training lor
life" she says. "Some of their statements
were justified by the results which they
were able TO quote FROM their experience IN
the business world. The general impression
one gathered was that boys and girls prove
themselves unwilling to make effort. II
the work was simple and the task OBVIOUS
It was performed in rather spiritleSs man
ner. When real difficulties presented them
selves the young people did not show initi-
alive and originality, they asserted.
Blame Traced to Home
1.-THE failure Is not entirely TO be attrib.
uted to the school. More than half OF 1t
Is In the home.
''Thc modern American parents seem
obsessed with the idea of removing dithcui-
ties from the path of children, demanding
no understanding from them of the work
and sacrifice which are necessary lkT,n Ior .ne
ind themselves. Mothers overwork in per-
forming the duties Of the home, while the
bows and girls are excused for any effort
along these lines under the mistaken notion
that this Is kindness. ,,,,
yelopment II they arc not trained TO see
opportunities for service in the home and
made efficient In the performance OF duties
which such service entail No sing factor
In child life IL more significant than this
Thoughtful appreciation of obligation toward
the happiness Of the home as the common
cause. 1t develops that part of child ma
ture which makes for personality in the
future, and that Is his spirit.
"It seems 10 me that both home and
school may be falling short because of their
failure TO catch all that is involved when
children are trained SO that the results of
the training carry over. The actual
existence of the spirit in children is only
casually admitted by many educators and
often ignored by parents. unless perhaps
they conceive their full duty to, the training
OF the child's spiritual side is performed
In church and Sunday school.
"The intelligent realization by the chill
dren of their relation to the home-Calling
upon the deeper centcrs OF their mind for
Gppreciation OF service and sacrifice by par
ents-causes growth in spiritual life that
has inestimable human values.
Now Ideal for America
"If the new ideal for America is to be
realized--that Is, making good, wholesome,
serene world for people to live in--the de-
q
must be definitely cared for, because the
world grows better only as people learn to
think and enjoy along ever higher and
higher levels. The realization Of the Ameri-
can ideal is not to come to pass by knowing
more facts about things, but rather through
feeiipg more deeply the satisfaction for what
ia right and hatred for what Is wrong
.'The will TO do can be developed for
children through appeal to their emotions.
When NO developed 1t has a lasting quality
which makes for effectiveness when the de
mand comes.
''It Is interesting to study modern edu :
cational methods and find that teachers are
sensing this need for the human touch and
realizing that recitations may be so organ =
tied that children may be trained in de
veloping keener understanding in human
relations. The sO-caled socializcd recita =
ton IL built upon this idea. Instead of the
old method in which the child answered
merely for the sake of his own mark, the
skiliful teacher of today sets up the recita .
tion as the common cause Of the class, and
each fellow plays his part. If this method
of approach to the daily recitation Is per
sisted In day after day, 1t Is fair to assume
that children 40 trained will have richer
emotional nature and better understanding
Of differentiation to each other,
"It Is only in such fashion We can avoid
the creed of self interest upon which pre-
yious educational methods have been
founded. 1t Is only in this way that the
doctrine of mans brotherhood can be prac
tically worked out, because the child has
found for himself that it is the better doc
trine.
| "The dominant note in an effective per