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Montreal : C. W. COATES. Halifax : S. F. HUKST.'i. c - ^ f i» ^"T^ t> EDUCATION FOR THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. BY JOHN MII.LAk, H.A., DrpoiH Stinintrr "/ Eiiumliim (itr Ihi I'ltniiui of Ontario. we approach the close tance. Plato taught that the pt ople who laboured in a model commonwealth needed no education whatever. Lest this may be regarded as a startling view to come from a philosopher, it should be remem- bered that not very long ago simi- lar sentiments were held by many intelligent people. It is only about a gener.'^tion since in the Southern States it was a crime to teach read- ing to the labouring classes. Uni- versal education in Germany only dates from the First Napoleon. Until their defeat at Sedan, the ^A-' CANMMANA EdiuMt'um fin' the Twentieth t t^nlury. French never thought of giving the masses of the people an elementary education. England, one oi the foremost nations in higher educa- tion, had no system of pubUc iti- struction for the poor until thirty years ago. Is it not a fact also that even in our own day the state- ment is occasionally made that there is a danger of " over-educa- tion"? So long as people fear evil to the country froiii having too many educa d persons, so long may it be assumed that more edu- ation is necessar>' in order to dis- pel such illogical conclusions. Too many ptrsons regard popu- lar education only as \l it were a protection against superstition and disorder. They look upon educa- tion as a measure of nolice. They are friendly to education only so far as it may be a means of in- creasing the material productive- ness of the country. By them education is prized, not because it gives the nati m good men and good women, but because it secures more wheat, more railroads, nvTe machinery, and more tall chimntvs. It should at once be recognized that the stream of democracy can- not be turned back or permanently checked. Kidd, in his " Social Evolution," has pointed out " that we are face to face with new con- ditions in the evolution of civiliza- tion." The dangers arising from a class privileged on account of birth, are over. There are, how- ever, dangers arising from the ex- istence of a class privileged on ac- count of wealth. The danger which confronts modern institu- tions is not aristocracy, but pluto- cracy. The welfare of the nation is not assured if there exists any class of people in the community debarred by artificial circumstances from having their right share in public affairs. The promise of a " full dinner pail " to the mechanic is not enough. The talk of cation unfitting pour peop; their station in life is repugnant to the belief in the brothcrhmnl of mankind. iJemocratic education sh 'd in- culcate the essential unity o. all classes. The endless diversitie? of function, capacity and achievement among individuals should be recog- nized as advantageous to civiliza- tion. Equality of condition is a phantom ; but equality of oppor- tunity should not be overlooked. Progress will not remove all in- equalities ; indeed, " progress and nu 'lualily " are inseparable. It should be a fundamental object of democracy — the elevation of the masses. All civilizing agencies that do not benefit the poor are foreign to the genius of the demo- ciatic spirit. The d'scovcry and the development ■ " the ability of every child in the comiiMnity, shi uKl be the aim of democratic education. Society is interested in making the most of every use- ful gift or faculty which each mem- ber of the community possesses. The buy who has natural endow- ments which would fit him to oc- cu])y a high position in < ublic life, should, in the interests of the state, have such opportunities placed within his reach as will enable the community to obtain the full ad- vantages of the gifts which Provi- dence has bestow-ed. It is now fully acki.owledged that elementary education should be free. Free public libraries are regarded as the necessary comple- ment of free schools. Free te.xt books have been adopted in many places; ai\d wherever adopted they hav-e cone to stay. It is to be re- gretted, 'lowcv'er, that the spirit of selfishnf >s induces some communi- ties to close the door of higher edu- cation to every one whose ^ither has not money. To the credit o the American people, the High Schools in nearly all parts of the Union are free; indeed, in some of thL- United States free High «0V 2 6 1963 '-1__ EiliiifttUm for llir Tii'fiitieth Vmtury. 8 Schools arc guaranteed by statute. It is safe to sav tliat tlie people of the American kepiil)lic, jutlyjed by their enterprise and progress, have made no mistake in the Hl)cral pro- visions made for secmidary en over what is practically secondary edu- cation under the control of the Pioanl Schools. Nova Scotia has adopted the policy of the I'.astern States in having the High Schools free. In Ontario, it is optii lal with High School Hoanls to n- pose fees, but, unfurtunately, in many cities and towns the power is exercised in the interests of the wealthy classes. It would be w( 11 for the Province to take waniinsr. If our country is to make pi"n;ress. all classes should have an oppor- tunity of acquiring that education which will tend to nniional develop- ment. Ton often ii i-; heard that those who wish a 1 Hgh School edu- cation sliotdd pay for it themselves. Tliis sentiment is not only unde- mocratic, but it is un-Ciiristian. Selfishness is at the bf)ttom of any policy which shuts out the children of the poor man from gaining an education. It should be recog- nized by all. that the poor boy who rises to honorrable prnmim ,icc in any comnntnity more tliati recoups; the ptil)lic treasury for any outlay it has made in his behalf. It is a fact tliat among tlic rich there i-^ often found much intellectual niv' moral degeneracy. The sons ot rich men frequently turn otu worthless. It is in the interests of the state to enable the children of the poor to replace the loss which this degenemrv causes. (2) The courses of srudv slionld be adapted to the requirements of the age and the conditions of the country. It is still a debatable ouestion. what knowledge is worth most. DifTerences of oi»inion are e.vpresscd rcsjH-eting the so-called " utilitarian " and " culture " bran- ches of the programme. Herbert Spencer, 1 .iving in view the needs of the many, tUser.JS much credit in his battle for an improved curri- c.ilum. lie has shown, what all will now admit, that Greek and Latin cannot hold the position they ha' three centuries ago. Mathew Arnold, on the other hand, makes a strong plea for the refinements of literature. < )ne greater than either has said that " Man does 1 ot live by bread alone." It may be safely accepted that the education of no person should be one-sided. Every one's training should be such as will enable him to make the Iwst of life. The knowledge a person should acquire will largely depend tipon the position in society which he is to occupy. It should he an object to have each one follow 'hat pur- suit for which his ability and cir- cumstances best fit him. It is a fact, however, that the occupation desirable for one to follow can with difficulty be determined in clnldhood. tender these circum- -laiices the knowledge early ac- f|uired should not be special, but cneral : in other words, the earlv part < f n student's school life shnnid l)e ta'-en up in gainincr such information as every one shot-' have. IIowe\'er desirable it i'^ a boy to be filled with an ambiuon to occiu^v a position of prominence, his studies shoidd be arranged with a conviction that the chances are he will be obliged to follow one of the humbler occupations of life. It is a serious drawback to the voung person who becomes a farmer, a mechanic, or a merchant, to find that several years of his student life were wasted in .. fruit- less acqu'sition of what mainly concerns the lawyer, the doctor, or the teacher. Specialization is fre- quently begun too early and the Education for the Tu'eniieth Century. blame must largely rest with the authorities of universities. Reading, writing and arithmetic are often regarded as the tools of education. In early childhood the study of nature should receive much attention. The earth and what pertains to it, or what is generally termed " physiography," should be taken up when school life is begun. Natural phenomena of a simple character should re- ceive earlv attention, and the ele- ments of physics, meteorology, botanv, zoology, chemistry, etc., sh..iild be presented for the pupil's observation and instruction. Any coiu-se for elementary schools which ignores "nature study," is seriously defective. In the lower forms of High Schools, natural science should be continued for every student. .A.rithmetic, which may be begun in early years, should not be made a leading subject of the High School course. The amount of arithmetic which every one should know is not extensive. Algebra and geometry, but of a verv elementarv character, may be taught to all pupils. The ordin- ary mechanic, farmer, etc., has to keep his accounts, and, therefore, elementary bookkeeping should be an obrp-atory subject. It is well known that the great majority of children are expected to contribute largely to the daily labour of the household, the farm, f the shop. The woman who un- derstands French or trigonometry, but is unable to cook a dinner or to mend a child's dress, is im- perfectly educated. Domestic science,' including cooldng, sewing, laundry work, sanitation, etc., should' be a leading part of every girl's training in the public school. The rapid concentration of popu- lation in cities has made it impera- tive that the manual training which a boy obtains on the farm may be taken up as a course of studv in urban schools. Manual training, like domestic science, should be limited to no class of students. The "culture" which the Pro- fessor of Literature may be sup- posed to possess will not make up for his inability to look after his own furnace, " if necessary, or to drive a nail to prevent his gate from falling to pieces. It is now well known that intellectual development recognizes the importance of training the hand and the eye. It is scarcely necessary to add that drawmg is a necessary preparation for manual training,' and should be an obliga- tory subject for all students. Every person should enjoy good literature ; and the boy or girl who leaves school without a love for good reading is not educated. There is no reason why the farmer or the mechanic should not enjoy Shakespeare, Ruskin and Tenny- son. Indeed, although the ma- jority of boys and girls must neces- sarily leave school young, they should, by diligent reading and ob- servation; add to their attainments every year. A child is badly edu- cated 'if he does not acquire a capacity for exact description, as well as a capacity for exact obser- vation. The time given to com- position should, therefore, be doubled. . .A.ttention should be directed in early life to what concerns man as a social being. History, civics, and cognate subjects should be taken up by all pupils. In a de- mocratic country the rights and duties of citizens should be known. It is evident that knowledge of this kind has an importance which it did not possess before the Reform Pill of 1832 was passed. It is fur- ther evident that the needs of Cana- dians are not the same as the needs of the Russians. The power to draw reasonable inferences should be mastered. In democratic com- munities this power is essential to good citizenship. If young men f Education for the Twentieth Century. were trained to be thoughtful, the masses of the people would not be so liable to dangerous delusions as they are at present. The hope of the demagogue invariably comes from a belief in the ignorance of a large portion of the electorate. To become an expert in any depart- ment of knowledge is attainable only by the few. To acquire wis- dom enough to know upon \ ' om to rely as an expert is within the reach' of most persons. Demo- cracy is in danger unless the citi- zens acquire the power of dis- criminating between the true and the false leaders of public opinion. The course of study for all pupils has now been indicated in a general way. It is only when we consider the subjects for secondary schools that difficulty comes up. It should be accepted as settled, that the High Schools are not supported either entirely or mainly for the benefits of those who enter on pro- fessional pursuits or become matri- culants of a university. The in- terests of the great majority of students must govern. Indeed, let it be felt that University in- fluences are to dominate, and the maintenance of the High Schools by the Legislature or Municipal authorities is doomed. The pro- gress of High Schools is due to the fact that in recent years their work has become more practical, and, as a consequence, they have gained largely in public sympathy. The division made between elementary and secondary schools is largely an arbitrary one. The subjects of a general education begun in the Public Schools should not be slighted in the High Schools. Latin, Greek. French. German, trigonometry, and some other branches, though valuable in themselves and essential for a few are not essential for those students who do not become teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, etc. It is a fact, however, that there is lamentable waste in educational methods as a consequence of the ambition to prepare for matricula- tion or for the professions. Pupils require careful guidance in this matter, and it is unfortunate that High School teachers are exposed to the very serious temptation of urging pupils to take up subjects not best adapted to purposes of general training. The plan of allowing Latin, Greek, etc., to be optional does not meet the situa- tion. The difficulty will never be met until it is as much to the pro- fessional honour of the teacher to turn out one who is to become a valuable farmer, merchanic, or merchant, as one who matriculates at a university. The main work of the High Schools should con- cern the ninety-five per cent, rather than the five per cent. The optional subjects in at least the lower forms of t' e High Schools should nnt receive half the atten- tion which they do at present. It will not meet the argument to say that in Germany the interests of intending matriculants are better safeguarded. On this continent the German system is not wanted. There are too many students al- ready wasting their time with Latin. The English and Scotch systems also have their excellencies. Canada would be unwise to copy the system of any country. It ma\ be that the Oxford graduate is two years younger than the graduate of Toronto University. The latter is, however, better in- formed, and will outstrip the for- mer before the age of twenty-five or thirty is reached. There is much force in the recent statement of Lord Rosebery that "practical universities are tiie universities of the future." (3) Character building should receive chief attention in the direc- tion of educational forces. Dur- ing the present century there has ■a 6 Education for the Twentieth Century been an apparent conflict betvveen education and knowledge. Ihis mav appear paradoxical, as the or Sr^^erso'n regards educaUon n'c::^:lf^s"tJe'b2 ^:r'S' two. Psycl-logts point out that m order to be edu ^ted, the emotions and the wi must receive due attention as ^vell a he intellect. There has been So much prominence given to Sal of human knowledge has had much o do with these conditions. T e a qmsition of knowledge has too often come to be regarded u o"r sdiools as the great aim and pnd of the student s lite. The growth of democracy, bene- ocAver The modern system of ^vritten examinations tends to a wronc idea of education. l^ntor ::Z% character has no va hie in deciding whether or not a cancii ^^te "s to pass an exammat.on. T^,e bov who^ails in algebra may S debarred from matron ation even though his pnnciplcs arc ^ood. On the other hand, one So has not sufficient wil powe to abstain from the use of cigars mav be admitted to the unn-crMty bv barely making one-third of the niarks in each subject. progress Tcharacter does not receive due " The" oSon of Buckle cannot be accepted that there has been no nSralp ogress in the history of ?he ?ace. A verv slight considera- Sn of the question will set aside this view. At the same time it must be conceded that erowth m morals has been far less than growth in knowledge; and this fact should have weight in shaping our future educational policy. t-very dav brings disclosures oi intemper- ance, dishonesty, untruthfulness and corruption. In the face ot crimes brought to the public gaze, it is clear there is urgent need ot better training in morality, borne of the functions at one time as- sumed by the Church are now per- formed by the State; and the or- dinary citizen is accustomed to look to the school as the great agency of modern times for assistance in securing the moral as well as the intellectual development of his children. Sectarian schools are relics of former gencr-^uons. -Secular" schools, in which a ucutral attitude on the value of re- 'ieion is assumed, cannot be thought of. The twentieth cen- nry wih fi"^ national schools where due importance is attached o die essentials of Christianity even more popular than at present. To secure better moral training, manv earnest persons have tirged the use of the Bible as a text-book Without attempting to dis^cuss the question at length, it may ^es fed that moralitv cannot be aught by a text-book.' any more than foot- ball or swimming. The only way S obtair. the best ethical training in our schools is to ^^^'''^^^f' teachers. That teacher is bes ad- vancing his pupils morallv who s the best d scip.marian. i he ques Son as to how ethical training may be best given in our schools is a pedagogical and not a theo ogica one The demand for religious instruction has not come from edu- cationists, although as a class they attach the highest importance to Christianitv as a basis of morals It should be known that a pupil learns every day n-.-rality as an art, and not as a science. If chil- dren are to become moral, their tastes and habits must be carefully guarded. It is the function of mm^ Education for the Twentieth Century. i » the school to train children in habits of regularity, punctuality, industry, quietness, neatness, obedience, truthfulness, and hon- esty. A good teacher will train his pupils to be courteous, and es- pecially to acquire that self-control which a distinguished German writer calls the "chief thing" in character. Tho true disciplinarian alone can train the will, which should have among its features de- cision, firmness, and constancy. A good teacher will strengthen all good tastes which a child has al- ready formed, and will help the formation of good tastes not yet ac- quired. For this purpose high qualifications are needed in the teacher. In addition to scholar- ship and professional attainments, he should possess much personal magnetism, great executive ability, plenty of tact, good common sense, and constant vigilance. Will power is essential to tlie man who leads or governs. The teacher should also posses; heart power, and his general ai dnments and moral character should make him a power in the community. All artificial incentives should, as far as possible, be abandoned in our schools. The ability to prepare pupils for an examination should not receive so nuich value as is given to it at present. Alore power should be given to the teacher in determining promotions, and in granting certificates. All such artificial incentives as prizes and scholarships should be aban- Toronto, December, 1900. doned, as they only turn the atten- tion of pupils to wrong educational ideals. Character and not mere knowledge should determine the rewards pupils are to receive; and the doors of universities and the professions should be closed to all students who have not acquired those habits which indicate a high type of manhood. Doubtless a reform of this kind may appear startling, but the signs of the times show that the present plan of attaching chief importance to knowledge, and giving moral char- acter a secondary place, is work- ing much harm. It is degrading the teacher from his true position, and making him a mere instrument for imparting information, instead of a force in building up character. If an improvement, such as is referred to, can be brought about, it will necessitate much better re- muneration to teachers. Teaching will not be regarded by young men as a stepping-stone to other pro- fessions. The teacher should be better remunerated than the law- yer, the doctor, or the banker. Comparisons of the incomes re- ceived by persons of different pro- fessions in any city or town, will show tliat although the qualifica- tions of the teacher are generally higher than those of the persons in other professions, be is the poorest paid. Higb.er qualifications for teachers, and better remuneration for their services, should be the educational watchword of the twentieth century. :u,v.-.