Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1938-10-27
True Education

Education in general throughout
generations past has meant book
learning, but of recent years more
and more have come to think of it
as something more; something which
will not only teach the ABC's, but
something which will make better
citizenship and which will work to-
ward creation of better standard
of living for the common people.
On this subject no better words
have been spoken in long time
than those spoken by William j..
Mayo, famous partner of the Mayos
at Rochester, when he gave the Ro-
chester home, belonging to himself
and Mrs. Mayo, to the Mayo Founda-
ton for Medical Education and Re-
search. An excerpt of DR.. Mayo's
statement follows:
''In the United States, love of our
country and its institutions, the in
spring history of the nation, the great
leadership that from generation to
generation has brought us through
trials and tribulations, and the ma
terial conditions which have made
for a more abundant life, all stir our
minds and hearts. That the people
recognize this fact, perhaps uncon-
sciously, is shown by faith and hope
for the future, as symboliZed by edu-
cation.
The cost of education borne by
the American people is greater than
any other expense supported by pub
lie taxation, and this burden is borne
willingly, with the expectation that
finer citizenship will be the result,
and with the hope that the democratic
form of government to maintain
which the nation has offered life and
wealth in four great wars, shall be
made safe and dependable in the
years to come.
"As one travels through the United
States, he finds in nearly every viii
lage, no matter how remote or how
poor, structure, the public school
building, which is magnificent COM
pared with its surroundings. The
schoolhouse is the proud monument
to the desire of the people that their
children shall receive better educa-
ton than they themselves had. II
is a visible testimonial of their 10y
atty to the country in which they
live, and of their resolute determine
ton that its future shall be made Sc
cure, not by efforts of arms, but by
efforts of intellect. Instruction from
teachers and books teaches man
what to think, but the great need
is that he should learn how to think
Memory tests as evidence of q
mans mental capacity have been
greatly overrated and too little at
tention has been paid to those meth
DDS of training that teach how to
apply what he knows. We are sc
likely to think of knowledge as SYM
onymous with education. But knowl-
edge is static. Have we thought
enough of wisdom, which moves
knowledge and makes it useful? We
think of truth as something that is
invariable, but, add a new circum-
stance and we have a new truth
Truth moves, as life moves, and what
is true of one generation may not be
true of the next. And this is true
of education. The future of this
country and of the blessings so mark
eddy developed here depends on a con-
tinuing education not only factual
but along the lines of sociology.
Education must concern itself with
the aspirations and needs of the COM
mon man. Formal education in this
changing age must alter in order to
meet adequately the problems that
have to do with human beings and
their social relationships. That bet
ter social understanding is develop
ing is evidenced by our increasing
provisions for the benefit of all the
people, in libraries, art galleries and
museums, good roads, lakes, parks
athletic fields and Fairgrounds. De-
veloping and advancing as we are
scientifically, culturally and socially
we must be careful that these changes
are not controlled, although perhaps
to some extent they may be guided
by the conservatism of older people.