English And Education

The fourth essential to an educational system which will make our investments enduring is better instruction in English literature. At first thought it seems that English instruction should not deserve a place with these essentials of education. Statistics, however, will convince one that it does deserve a place in the basic system of education. It is not enough for people to be able to read and write. They should be taught to understand and love good literature. To-day 95 per cent. of the reading consists simply of newspaper reading and a large proportion of this is defiling and degenerating. Young people must be taught to seek the best reading and be ashamed of having a part in any other form.

The many misunderstandings in connection with government, labor, and social problems are due to a misuse or a misinterpretation of the English language. These pitfalls must be avoided. All must be able to make themselves understood and to understand others. We can have no enduring investments until a clear understanding between all classes and groups exists. It has even been suggested that world peace will never come until there is a universal language. Certainly, the solidarity of every nation depends on mutual understanding among its people.

The enduring educational system, however, should go further. It is only a step from English to psychology. The reasons that Shakespeare, Ruskin, and Emerson were great writers is because they were great psychologists and philosophers. Literature of itself is a mere shell. Psychology of itself is a dangerous weapon. The two, however, can be combined in a way to become a great force. Literature should not be taught for its own sake; but it should be taught for its psychological instruction. Yes - only through such teaching can practical psychology and philosophy be satisfactorily given to young people.

Principles And Education

The fifth essential for an enduring educational system is that our young people should be taught the principles, not the facts. Probably the greatest advancement during our lifetime will be made along this fifth development. Almost every textbook used in our schools and colleges could be boiled down to one-tenth its present size. At the bottom of practically every subject are a few fundamental principles. The educational system of the future will teach the students only these fundamental principles, using problems simply to illustrate these principles and to interest the student therein. After learning these fundamental principles, the student as he goes out into life, can apply them when, as, and if needed.

Without doubt we are wasting a great deal of time on our educational system. Schools are being operated largely not to provide education, but to take the children off their parents' hands for a certain number of hours a day. This applies to all schools, although especially to kindergarten, primary, and preparatory schools. Colleges and high schools are largely being operated to give jobs to instructors rather than to help the students. Thus the incentive is to string out the course as long as possible and use as many text-books as possible. Naturally, the text-book manufacturers are very sympathetic with this mistaken policy and help it along in every way possible.

Mathematics, geography, the sciences, languages, and the other basic studies are important; but they should be taught by different methods from those used at present. These studies should be greatly condensed and reduced to fundamental principles. These principles should be learned as the alphabet and multiplication table are learned. The great mass of rubbish now included should be eliminated. Moreover, if this were done, much time would be saved, and - what is more important - the students would be better educated.

For instance, chemistry, physics, geology, biology, etc., should all be combined into one course known as "Science," which every one should be taught. Such a combined course could be covered in less time than is now given to one science. The idea of making a student choose between chemistry and physics when he knows nothing of either is ridiculous. Let those whose business requires one of these sciences specialize in it after taking the fundamental combined course; but don't make him select a science before he knows anything about it. Neither should he be allowed to take one science to the utter exclusion of others equally important.

The same error is committed regarding languages. What good does the smattering of French, German, Spanish, Italian, etc., now being taught in our schools accomplish? Less than 5 per cent. of those who study those languages ever make use of them. The whole system is ridiculous. Let all students in English speaking countries be taught English; the students in French speaking countries be taught French; and the students in other countries be taught their own language. Then have the students of all those countries taught Esperanto, which is simply made up of the fundamental principles underlying all languages. Under such a system we would get somewhere.

After one learns the language of his country and Esperanto, he should have the privilege of learning Spanish, French, German, etc.; but these other foreign languages should not be compulsory in our public schools and should be purely electives in college. To-day they are required for graduation from high schools and for admission to college; while no examinations are given on certain fundamentals such as ethics, civics, and personal efficiency.

The Creator probably intended that we parents should go to school and then we ourselves should teach our children. Of course, this idea has been entirely upset. Schools and colleges have doubtless become a permanent fixture to our civilization and we fathers will continue to use them to take care of our children the same as we use laborers to take care of our gardens and maids to take care of our houses. We should, however, condense this outside education into as short a period as possible, make it as practical as possible, and teach only a few fundamental principles underlying each subject. This would be an infinitely more efficient, practical, and appealing method.