The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-08-21
just Among Ourselves

all, the elementary school, IN secondary way
mean secondary schools. We do not mean the
institutions OF the socalled higher learning. These
too may be important but they have not nearly the
significance OF the grades and high-schoo.
Education is an elusive word for the lexcogra-
pher No one has succeeded in giving it an ade-
quate definition. But it may rightly be taken to
mean the active influence exercised on human lives
by people, places, events and circumstances. II is
therefore the manifest obligation of those who
have the care of the young to see in so far they
can, that this influence is a healthy one and not
a harmful one.
Those who have of the young are before
all others, the parents OF children Parents are the
first and the greatest and the most important edu-
Gators The essential school is the school into which
the child enters by being born; normally this is
the family and the home Nor is the duty of edu-
eating children to be shrked by parents or shifted
wholly to others, without grave consequences for
all concerned.-that is for the children their par
ents, and the nation itself.
People who like logical procedure approach the
subject of education by stating clearly that there
are three main phases OF the educative process,
and explain that these three must blend harmon
iously into one. There is the training of the body
OF the mind and of the will In other terms educa-
tlon must be simultaneously physical intellectual,
physical education looks TO suitable diet rest and
exercise. The mind needs truth: intellectual educa
uon seeks to lmpan essential information and TO
guide the mental powers into habits of straight and
sustained thinking. The will wants what is good
what is fulfilling moral education approaching its
goal through the mind, nstructs and exercises the
VIII IN the ways of justice and all virtue.
Now it is manifest that the child requires edu-
cation in all three of these departments from the
moment of birth From the start the child is in need
OF help that ii may grow in health to sound ma
tu9ty. that IL may know truth and that it NAV
live nobly II is also manifest that the early
years of supplying to the child this needed help
that s educaon,-are the most important years
For what is to be done after the first years is hin
dered and hampered if there be need of correcting
acquired bad habits. and of supplying what has
been omitted through neglect.
Therefore il is clear that the first years of
ehilds life the years of its basic education And
during this time the educators are the parents and
all home influences. Formal schooling may do much
for child; but formal schooling can never supply
and correct all that poor homeschool has neglect
ed or taught amss. Nor formal schooling
counteraet the influence of the poor home-schoo
which continues It's Soyenly work right along with
the institutional school work
Catholic parents are themselves children of the
possible, even al the cost of much sacrifice to
that their children arc trained in parochia schools
But they must never consider that when the chill.
dren are turned over TO religious teachers they
are, so to speak, off their parental hands On the
contrary, ii is of indispensable Importance that tho
school child find at home the eNemplification of
all the good things that il learns in school
very small part of the child'S life is subjected
TO the direction and influence of the school and the
religious teacher For only twenty-five hours out of the
weeks 1863 hours and for only thirty-six weeks out
of the years filtytwo is the school child under
the direct educatve effort of the school itself For
the rest of the time. the active education of the
child is the work of its home and its parents.
There are $3.50 hours in one year. The child in
school is there for five hours out of the twenty.
four; twenty-five hours for the five school days of
each week In the thirty-six weeks of the school
year, the child spends 900 hours in school Com
pare those 900 hours with the 8760 hours OF the full
year, You find that just small fraction over ten
percent of the school chds time is spent in school
Is il remarkable then that we think of parents
the greatest teachers? Is is surprising hear that
the teachers who have control of hundred per.
cent of the childs time for the first five years
and almost ninety percent of II for the next twelve
or fifteen years, are more important teachers than
the trained professionals who have only ten per
cent OF the chlldS Tine Does II come as some
What shocking statement when saws that schools
at best only minor, il essential help TO
parents?
Vet there are parents who say I'VE have done
best for John and Sally We have sent them
to parochal school And still they unruly, and
flippant and dsobedent. There must be some.
thing wrong with our schools" No the fault is not in
the school that takes but ten percent of the childs
education in hand Common suggests that IL
must be the other school.--the that controls
ninety percent of The childs time--that has some.
thing wrong with IT,
II is important in these days to dwell upon the
necessity of the parochia school, and to thank God
for its magnificent service. Ii is also proper for
those great teachers who have their appointment
from God Amighty.-that is. the parentsto dwell
upon the work they have to do, and TO be deter.
mined to do il we'll And when papa puts his
hat TO go down TO the p Al meeting, let him think
tho way that he is not going down to express
mild interest in the way his child is being edu
Gated: iet him not consider himself one who
eooperates in his chiIds schooling. He is the mair
educator. the school is cooperating with him Anc
II he isn't doing his work we'll, that cooperation