The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1955-04-15
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or lneonsidersfs


that old Tom Lincoln, Abes father did not think
highly of book learning. He favored the three RS,
but thought that anything beyond them was too
much eddication" In only one thing could Tom
be said to agree with the education-mad moderns:
he considered Schootdttenddnce and education as
different names for the same process Even Tom
Lincoln ought to have known better.
Before we brush aside the three-R theory of the
elder Lincoln as benighed, We might do we'll to
pause bit and ponder. Ii the three RS not
enough, they are nevertheless requisite; they are
fundamental In this day of research and gadgetry,
Of units, credits majors, minors, and all the rest,
the three RS are taken for granted But often
they are not granted. There's many PhD. who
can't read for sour apples; whose writing looks
like "a rail fence struck by lightning, who could
not TO save his immortal soul figure out the inter
est at 617 per cent on ninety-day loan OF $15367.
In an actual test of Igh School seniors, al
select school of higher-than average standards,
il was found that more than two-thirds Of the
class were unable to define such words dbrogde,
quorum antithesiS, anecdote, decorum, codteSce,
anthoIoog Samples of their work in illustrating
sentences THE book was abrogated by the teacher
"A decorum of gentlemen left the meetings John
is taking anthology this semester "Antithesis is
disease Of the lungs" "The doctor prescribed an
anecdoe for the poisoned man.
So this is education! Twelve years Of modern
super.efficient training, with all that visual aids,
and football teams, and social activities and work
shops and on, can furnish as supplemental cul-
ture: twelve long weary years of II! And at the
end the trainee is equipped to remark, 1.-THE doctor
prescribed an anecdote." Maybe old Tom Lincoln
had somethlng
Carl sandburg says, ABE Lincoln, the ooy, want
ed To know more than the father, Tom Lincoln,
wanted to know" And right there is .he reason
why Abe Lincoln did come to know more than his
father: he Wantcd to know. OF large number
surely a large majority,-of modern school pupils
dow, high, college, university, II cannot be truly
said that they Udut TO know anything. At least they
do not want TO know to the extent of doing steady,
sefsacrficing work for the purpose of learning IT.
old Sam Johnson once said d-untruly, in mo-
ment of petuiance-that il il were raining tntor-
nation fabou Alexander Pope. whose life he was
engaged upon) he would hold out his hand; but
that he would not go in search Of it. Six out of ten
modern pupils Groncally referred TO as STU
dentsD could say the same thing truly and without
petulance about almost any subject they are TAX
ing" in school Well perhaps not Likely they would
moi have the interest or energy to hold out their
hands.
II schooling-beyond the three Rs-could be
furnished to those alone who want it, who wish
for it, who willing TO work at It, we should soon
see vast improvement in schools in their product,
and In the WhOie pOpulallOn, we -DemuSe ourselves
with the silly dream that the millions of children,
and men and women too, who trot off to school
and eventually graduate, are educated And, OF
course, we believe that education Is fine thing,
We need to face the stern fact that schooling and
graduation and degree do not constitute educa-
tion, nor any significant part of it.
Abe Lincoln was a moderately we'll educated
man; he had precious little schooling, gradua-
ton, no degree But he todnted to learn. His want
was a driving force behind his steady effort His
want made him range the countryside in radius
of fifty miles about his Indiana home to borrow
books And you may be sure that when Abe Lin
coin brought back borrowed book tand he did
bring the books back; in that particular he was
very old fashioned) he kneio. and knew for keeps,
what that book had to give him.
Lots of books are available today. Pupils are
not required to walk fifty miles to borrow one.
But plenty of pupils would rather walk fifty miles
than give hours solid effort to the earning OF
what the book at hand has to offer Pupils do not,
as rule 90 to school for the purpose Of satisfying
a want; they go TO school because going to school
is part of the current system of life There is kind
of mental ock.sep in which everybody goes along,
singing songs of Freedom Ii is easy TO shuttle
forward with the gang. II would be difficult TO break
step besides, there's a penalty for that; someone
would have to 60 to jail Liberty and enlightenment!
Progress! Culture
If sane man to face reality he would be
forced to understand that the one important thing
TO be learned is the meaning of life itself, But he
can 90 to school from now to doomsday in public or
state institutions, and he will never receive es-
sental instruction on that paramount point An age
that procaims itself scientific indeed allknowing,
brushes aside as inconseguentiai the only matter
of consequence. In view of this unqueStonabe
fact what is education and where is II TO be found?
Will il avail to gain an education" with It's
ID
judgment in complete Ignorance Of the reason he
was allowed to live?
The educated" man has spent from sixteen TO
twenty years Ga large slice out of any life) IN
schools Is il reasonable to devote one-fourth Of
long life 10 'the educatve process and come out
Of il perfect blank on the essential issue of that
life We moderns seem to think so
And If we are )ent on the secularist view,
and the Secularist aim. in our education. how comes
il that we are pathetically unsuccessful in attain
inc our own admittedly low ideals? We want eul.