Evening star., 1934-07-02
The Teachers Part.


1t would be impossible to conceive
of an orderly. progressive state of
civilization achieved by accident. The
thoughtful individual realizes that
such law and order, such peace and
happiness, such culture as the world
enjoys. have not been fortuitously de-
veloped. On the contrary, these
values are the fruits of a definite
relation between cause and effect;
they have been brought into existence
by processes of education; they
represent the victories which teachers
have accomplished over crude circum-
stance.
Historians agree that during the
earliest ages Of human experience
there was little professional teaching,
but they insist that long before
written annals were kept by any ma
ton the business of tnstructing the
young had been assigned to persons
considered wise and just enough to
be intrusted with the responsibility.
Commonly it was the Oldest leaders
of the tribe who were selected as
mentors for the youth and governors
for the children. The purpose of the
community was that of securing the
transmission of accumulated social
knowledge to successive generations,
and no more altruistic design could
be devised than that of such an en-
dowment. Small wonder was it. then.
that teachers in general were held
In especial respect. Their names
come down the ages with those of
sovereigns and military heroes, and
the chronicles are filled with proof
of their power.
But with the rise of industrial
democracy, beginning little more
than century ago, the status of the
teacher suffered variety of eclipse.
Emphasis was directed toward the
production of new types of learning,
new moulds for human intelligence.
In the campaign for increased wealth
it was considered to be better to in
struct boys and girls in industrial and
commercial routines than in theo-
retically useless" arts and sciences.
The 'pragmatic idear was put into
effect. Child labor was cheap and
children therefore were deliberately
encouraged to leave their books for
employment in factories and mills,
shops and stores, where they were
assured they would be taught some
thing worth while" Coincidentally,
the college professors became a jest
and the grade school instructor was
given a salary rating lower than that
Of a janitor. The world went more
or less mad over machinery, and
rational interest in vocational train
ing became a fanaticism and a fetish.
A representative father threw his
sons Latin texts out of the window
and the mayor of large city gave it
as his considered opinion that it is
a waste of money to tolerate "fads
and frills' in the approved curriculum.
The trend of several decades was away
from learning for its own sake and
toward an educational opportunism
which, closely examined, was found
to have no cultural significance what
ever. Had the tendency been permit
ted to continue, the population would
have been regimented into trade groups
knowing nothing but limited special
ties.
The depression, however, has put a
stop to such foolishness. 1t has dem
onstrated that the old methods are the
best and that good general education
is to be preferred to any Of the rigid
and narrow professional techniques.
1t has provided teachers with the op-
portunity to reassert their traditional
position as sponsors and guides for the
whole intellectual aspect of life. The
children no longer are wanted as la
borers, adults have greater leisure than
ever before in many years. The ques-
ton is: What use will educators make
of their chance to seize the moment
for larger and more helpful service to
mankind? 1t would be an everlasting
pity if they failed to take advantage
of the present occasion and its posi-
bilities for constructive reform and
change.