The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-02-17
PEOPLES FORUM

posed to the dance in it's regular
and allotted avenues.
No thoughtful person will say
that our public system of educa-
ton is failure. The system is
not at fault but it's administrac-
ton, or in other words the way we
use cur opportunities is at fault.
There are breakers ahead, if we
do not set for ourselves higher
standards. The fact that twenty
five per cent Of the men in the
army drafts were unable to read
ordinary army orders Alright, that
the. educational level taking the
country us whole, is no higher
than the seventh grade, and that
we hold the ninth place among ma
tions answers the question of our
status as regards school training.
Let it be observed that believing
thing does not make it so, though
it satisfies the believer; We have
deluded ourselves into believing
but it will work no longer. Let us
begin, therefore, to dc better work,
also more work, not play work
with goody- goody time, half time
attendance, picture book interest
and vacations. To this end we
must eliminate the things that
stand in the way, some Of which
were mentioned above. Need they
be mentioned again? "a
AS to the cause of the poor pre-
paration % so many pupils and
students, which no one will deny.
let the blame not be laid at the
feet of youth, as a class. Youth
is not supposed to lead, but to be
led. Boys and girls are not sur
posed to do the planning as to the
method in education, or to deter
mine the subject matter, or to
/ narrow the meets and bounds in
mental and social activities in one
direction and to enlarge them in
another. t is not theirs to carve
in the soul the ideals of life.
It is quite evident that a large
part, and very large part, we
must admit, of the American peo-
pie need to realize that proficiency
in books is more than fine schoo-
houses, top-heavy courses of study
and high taxes. That it is more
than sweet girl graduates parad-
ing the land with daintily tied
diplomas and of young men who
when winning them, their diplomas
we mean, were more interested in
sport, cheap books and movies
than in their studies. Let it be
understood that the young women
are as much attracted by outside
forces as the young men.
The fundamental facts that
should be impressed upon the
minds of students are that prepar
alton for life depends upon honest
efforts constantly put forth; that
there must be a saying, "good-bye"
to an easy time. To the degree
that the public learns this will the
boys and girls be more sober
minded about school and school
activities, more sedate living, and
deeper thinking. The fathers we'll
nigh unbeatable burden of school
taxes may not then have become
appreciably less heavy, but the
sons tax burden of regret will
have become quite negligible.
School life will stand for more
than false glory and superficial
thinking. Thought is the soul of
life. There is too little thinking
in education today.
Friends, we are not willing, let
us say again, to lay the faults so
in the wake of the
school, to youth as class. This
generation is all right in itself.
Insofar as it is following evil
lines, or loose lines, failing there
by to prepare for tomorrow it is
doing so because the road has been
opened to it, or because the bars
have been laid down, to roam at
will. We must, in order to get a
hundred per cent return on the
time and money spent, get a diff
ferent educational view point. The
people must act together. Only
by SO doing will a ramshakle eff
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