Evening star., 1937-07-27
Modern Stockings Do Not Live Up ohe Rugged Ancs
Children
Need Good
Education
Preparation Enables
Youngster to Meet
Life's Problems.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

ID HA~NLlo L n 1 NJ.
livery once in a year somebody
rises to say that children ought
to be taught only useful knowledge
that is, taught the things they can
use. 1t is silly to teach them to solve
problems in arithmetic because they
will never have use for them 1t i,
vasteful to teach them to use color
and line to express their moods 1t is
idle to teach them world history when
they know so little of their own
Why should boy or girl learn to swim
when there is no ocean handy?
always long to ask such people
how they know that the child is not
going to use this knowledge. Who
knows where child is going and
what roads he will take to get there
Not I. Nor his parents. Nor his
teachers Nor anybody else. That
secret Is locked tightly in the bosom
Of time.
One day this past week four boys
who were graduated from our school
came in to visit me. They had grown
into manhood and were at work in
their chosen fields. One was teacher
OF descriptive geometry in a college
one was grain broker; one was an
artist engaged in painting murals In
a big public building; one was a nat
Arallst engaged in collecting and
mounting specimens of reptiles for a
great museum.
Al listened to them talking about
their business, remembered them as
Grubby little boys making their way
through school I thought of the day
that found one crying in the corner
ef the yard because the teacher had
made him stay in to work the prob
lem he had not brought in. Why
should I have to do examples? I'm
going to be a contractor that makes
cement like my father" He was the
broker. And I thought Of the day
father came into the office and
begged me not to let his boy paint pic
tures but to make him learn his les
eons for be was to be doctor. He
was painting muralS, that very same
boy. and having the time Of his life.
And his father was precious proud, he
said.
Who knows7 Childhood was given
the race as time for experimenting
Children have to try themselves out
IN many fields Growth is not an
even process that comes along on
scheduled time according to a plain
pattern. Most OF it is hidden in its
has formed stout roots and stored
great power. "All of sudden he
began" No he didn't. He had been
growing underneath. in hidden ways.
bv nlbbling at history, at science, at
music, at literature. at the bench. in
silent contemplation OF nature and
the neighbors. You cannot tell what
Is going on inside child's nature.
You have to wait until it overfoWs
and begins to express Itself in def
mite ways.
These are changing times and the
old ways will not serve. so how can
you tell what children will need and
train them Tor it?' These are chang
ing times but human needs and de-
sires are not changing Only a new
direction is to be given their think
ing, and that isn't going to hurt any
body and it will do lots Of them
great deal OF good
People are always going to need
food, shelter clothes, fire and water
and light. They are always going to
need beauty, and more of 1t. They
are always going to need help from
each other, and that help will be more
and more specific and more and more
to the point. The best thing for us
~ do is to offer every child in the
country as rich an experience in edu-
cation as he can take and let him do
the rest. He will anyway. But let's
give him the best possible chance.
(Copyrieht 1897