Show PUBLIC SCHOOLS Giff nian and american W systems RELIGIOUS TEACHINGS A strone argument in favor of their use in our schools editor before proceeding to present the cur kriculi of the german and american schools sch aola it will be well to bobear bear in mind that the governments of the two countries are in many cases dissimilar that luu one is an hereditary mon monarchy ar c hy where as goethe makes egmont s say ay an honest citizen who maintains him aalf by his industry has always as much freedom as he can make use of ani whose ideal of government is that of an omniscient intelligence all powerful within the limits of the state and de je curing the welfare of the individual him wide for personal adventures or risks this government on the othur hand is ia built oo on the theory of individual aeve loveie eighty igney where every on one 0 who desires and has the courage and push posh may carvo carve out a bew career and hence encourages personal per bonal adventure original invention and free thought it atia is evidently clear then that the tha of thought and action differ in ft considerable degree and that these differences tend to yield results mors more or less in harmony with bachs instinctive distinctive or peculiar character accordingly though the curriculum of both countries be the same the widely different impressions of each nt national ional character upon it would produce results widely divergent it is sate therefore to remark that e each ach nation stamps upon its school abslem it own et anical character and that th the vitality ot its institutions finds expression sion I 1 in a its schools in a previous article I 1 stated that the course 0 u ree of 0 study in the elementary schools of germany embraces religion rell igdon i reading writing arithmetic et ets it will be well now to state the katurd extent or limitation ideas aud and purposes involved torether tov ether with such otner olner matter as may be pertinent to a clear cear understanding der dar of each branch of study Religion This instruction is nonsectarian in cb character annc ter bat protestant catholic and aej israelites Israel itea are as muck much as possible taught in separate schools when they attend mixed schools school they are separated during the less lessons ns in religion biblical history catechism with bible versea memorizing of hymns esai mial points of religious ethics are what the public schools are required to teach but all pupils are not absolutely re quiren to study religion parents r guardians noLon currine are ed to retain their children from acu ecu ul during daring tha period of religious instruction A As 9 B blust the american idea the germans in pursuance of is a policy to b become acome the strongest of all nations by excelling in civil as in military hf fairs have concluded that in order to see secure re the most successful results possible poss ible U irom from national education thorough discipline of mind and body is ia na ab abe 8 and to facilitate this that religion subject subie ct to certain ce i atai r 1 conscience clause provisions 1 be con considered a as the basis of instruction and is therefore there foie placed as the primary subi bub eject on elementary school programmed pro grammes how different in these united states in sonata senate committee en education and labor devoted a portions of two sessions to hearing hearings hea ringa upon a proposed amendment to the co constitution u respecting respect inz the estaba hishme nt q of religion and free public schools the tha amendment submitted enjoined upon each state absolute neutrality in respect religion and the exclusion of all schools where any doctrines ten eta ceremonies etc are taught or inculcated from any participation I 1 in 12 funds raised by taxation the above proposed amei amendment dment appears to IQ be the controlling opinion 1 in there are nearly twelve millions of catholics throughout the land who claim that religious instruction should be given daily in all 11 schools as a means to prepare more fully the pupils to cove cope successfully with the trials and temptations temptation ol of life and an means of 0 culture and refinement furthermore these same catholics claim as just an equal distribution of cf buivens a aud ad beneata of 1 school chool taxation and claim it as their right to have a proportionate share of the school taxes for the tha benefit of the catholic pupils att anding their parochial schools those who have read attentively atten tilrey of late and lot for some borne time tima pant the discussions cus cuB in some of the leading papers of the country concerning the absence of religious teachings in the public schools and the partition of public school funds b between the common and parochial schools cannot fail to notice an agitation of no small moment and which may eventually cause a radical change in ia the pro gramme of the present american school system already the alarm is ominous hon W H I 1 blair made this statement recently 1 I think the great struggle upon us na today is between the denominational school ind and the free public school of our oar country la in the great centres bentres of the c suntry antry today tin common school is dangerously assailed 11 indeed in some of our oar cities everything moral and religious the bible prayer and lessons in morals and manners is stricken from the curriculum of school training trai nim Is it any wonder that the tha seeds of anarchy Boca soca liam liim communism infidelity insubordination nation and licentiousness so eo easily find el a lodgment in the abarta of our youth vou t h BO 60 neglected lait not bews nab lato art pi i dict that if tha time cornes comes what our system of school ten li w includes inc ludeo only enough of such studies to benibe a man to pass gustei in the world an and d bars the leaching of those immutable principles of right and wrong of law and order which are the verv ananda ton nit eions of a permanent republican reau alican liberty it will perish through its own if dzula fd momentum it is an admitted fact a that in the public achoo s of tt is Tenito rv no re a legious c tion is given b that abe sunday schools give on ai average but one hour of if the week to those thoe wb wao 0 attend and in ia ina many ny cases by persona themselves not any too well wait ac fainted with religious principles and that chich ia given even byth by the obest basi of instructors is ie so disjointed by tira tifis 1 and BO 86 frag fragmentary in matter asto as to runder render but bat little spiritual wi 0 o that the ti Da arents rents overburdened with labor find but bat little or no time to s Z vs kneir litte ones the religious tra training apparent apparently y to enlighten and a direct their boulto towards ane t goal of its highest ambition lil all feel it a duty to have the children instructed bv means of which they way may earn a livelihood but in not ohp areld of life equally important an a x with the histories his hi lories and events of the world are hickin desir ble ba hut a knowledge of th themselves hp ause oi 01 creaton crp afon the fa fai reaching ri stilt of individual action the arcouet ar coant of the acal ul what of taps are tb thov v of less importance lie he who would advocate ad vocatA PIP ow allish al lish went of the or or grammar would be a fit pet oi of sn 9 adt t of f hir him who objects to an and d you h calen calculating lating the cost of moral chiquitta chi quitt or the daward of nofri ri ht doenz or s 6 I dinv the narrow w is 15 to reaco reace and emblems eid leaa life or opeal in ia the language and grantt grammar gram tar nar tho h grat elui aar again alim it 1 ai h not bere hf re c ante aute d d J that public sall ol 01 almol uton i p ii ii cir 1 11 orBon flon I 1 fund for the ot of all children should be expended for the use 1189 I 1 of siv ary religious school under our pre sent school but it i ir claimed that V t e christi in religion relis rion is ia the fountain of morality mo ralty ard and that an attempt to divorce Q one from the other is i a not at the ex istance and stability of pur our civilization and to separate parate ne them in 9 to destroy both and thereby in an era whose escutcheon would be covered with blackness black nesa and alose pro g bea e s would rapidly gravitate towards barbarism J A B R SPANISH april adril 13 1893 |