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Show Cif men Building by Civic Training mi b Schools SSBib. Ml Prof. Wilson Gill proposes pro-poses to prepare our native and foreign born children for the duties of self-government so that we may-have may-have a nation honestly hon-estly and efficiently and justly conducted A Wise In ""i" HE presence of large numbers Tof foreign workers In many parts of the United States-persons States-persons who do not understand our laws, our language, our Wnnnnr forms of government in city, IJnRyJyfllRl state and nation is full of (W0'J danger for the country. The jj-jjjjjj lack of interest in civic affairs by a large proportion of our own educated American population popu-lation is another big danger, taken especially in relation to the presence here of the outsiders. Many of the Industrial towns and cities In New England and In other parts of the country have populations almost half foreign. There is frequent fre-quent rioting with attendant loss of lives and destruction de-struction of property. The spirit of mob lawlessness lawless-ness of this sort seems to be spreading in many communities. On the other hand, we find dishonest governmentplain govern-mentplain graft, lax administration of law, representative rep-resentative officials who do not represent the mass 'of taxpayers In practically every city and state in America. Many agencies have sought the cause of this state of affairs and are hunting a remedy. The chief cause of the foreign unrest and lawlessness law-lessness appears to be Ignorance. Only a very small percentage of the rough labor which has come to us from Europe can speak or understand the language of the country. Practically none has any idea whatever of our laws, our standard of living, our governmental methods. And the great cause of dishonesty in government govern-ment In our towns, cities and states appears to be the indifference of the great mass of intelligent, prosperous American citizens to what goes on right under their noses. They don't take the trouble trou-ble to vote. They don't take the trouble to participate par-ticipate in primaries and conventions and see to lit that good men are nominated for office. They leave It all to the politicians, who are in the governing gov-erning business so called not because of their j fitness to administer laws, spend public money, ulenl out justice, etc., for the good of the com-'iminity, com-'iminity, but strictly and purely for what they can !get out of it. Just graft for themselves and their friends. Civic Training In Schools. "Fifth Missionary work to arouse a popular de- "StOtf mand for citizenship training in schools and to in- rilltr r I '?yr duce school authorities, state legislatures and the sHrtJr United States congress to do their part in this "--j cause. In a recent article in the Philadelphia Public I Ledger, Trof. Wilson L. Gill, who was put In (charge of the school system of Cuba during the 'American occupation of that island after the Spanish-American war, offers a single remedy for both ithese dangers to the peace and happiness and well-being of the United States. "Educate," he says. "Build citizens by giving itheni civic training in the schools. Beginning with the tots in the primary grades, teach the boys and , girls how their school, their town, their county, their state, their nation is conducted. Teach them ito vote and decide the little problems of their klaily lives In the schoolroom by methods employed em-ployed in government. "Make each schoolroom, for Instance, a little town. Let the pupils under the teacher's supervision super-vision elect a mayor from among their number and have all the others compose a board of coun-cilmen. coun-cilmen. Put up to them problems of school, town, county, state, national management, to be decided de-cided on the principles of justice and the safety and well-being of the majority. "A proper appeal must be made to the pupils," Professor Gill says, "and they must be enlisted heartily. "This is easily done, for we have good material to work with. Nearly all boys and girls are essentially essen-tially good. This is true, even if, by reason of an unfortunate environment, a child has developed some very bad habits, even those of dishonestv. If the appeal is properlyvnade to them, they can ibe counted on definitely to stand for that which is honest, 'fair and square,' clean, generous and right. Teacher's Part of the Plan. "Personal and printed assistance must be given to them for carrying on their government in the spirit of American institutions and In accord with correct civic forms, to maintain order and develop co-operation and efficiency for every good purpose. They must be shown how to solve the problems of their dally Intercourse, and, as their teachers help them to become independent in solving the problems prob-lems In arithmetic, so their teachers must help them to become independent in solving their daily problems of social and civic relations. The teacher's teach-er's part in the use of this laboratory method of moral and civic training is the same as in mathematics. mathe-matics. The teacher's authority and responsibility in both cases are to encourage and help the pupils to keep up enthusiasm, to become independent and judicial in thought and to arrive at clear-cut decisions. At that point the old educational process, proc-ess, as in mathematics, ends, but In this new laboratory work, dealing with the actual practical problems of daily moral and civic life, there Is another most important step, which is immediately to put these decisions into execution and to cooperate co-operate for the good of all. "What is needed for introducing democracy in schools? "First The right method there is one, the laboratoiy method, and there cannot be another. "Second Practical plans there can be but one right general plan, but of this there may be Innumerable In-numerable variations. "Thlrd-'A person skilled In introducing the method ad supervising the use of It. "Fourth Authority for such Introduction and fcupervlsiug. The Right Method. "Since citizenship and government are matters of action, as well as of knowledge, the method of teaching them must be the laboratory method, by which the pupil learns how to do a thing by doing It. In this respect citizenship Is like swimming, which must be learned by practice in swimming; or carpentry, which must be learned by working under the direction of a carpenter. Citizenship must be learned by performing the right actions of citizenship and by maintaining the right spirit of citizenship, as well as by learning academically the facts of the subject. "The first essential of a correct plan for teaching teach-ing American citizenship is that it shall be In accord ac-cord with the spirit of American Institutions, which is expressed by the Golden Rule, in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. For instance, it must assure as-sure equal rights and justice to all, and, of course, must not give special privileges or establish estab-lish class distinctions, as in ancient Rome and Greece, strong traces of which still remain In our own country. "The second essential is that so far as the school government is developed, it shall be reasonably rea-sonably parallel with some correct form of American Ameri-can government among adults, and give no wrong Ideas to pupils, with the thought that they can be easily corrected later. It ought to follow, as nearly near-ly as practicable, the plan of keeping reasonably separate the legislative, executive and judicial elements ele-ments of government. What the form of government govern-ment is, if it Is true to American civics, may not be a serious question. The most simple form is that in which there are three officers, one at the head of the legislative department, another of the executive, and the third of the judicial. To these three offices may be added those of clerks, librarians, li-brarians, health, peace and other officers. Schoolroom the Unit. "It is a good practice to consider the schoolroom, school-room, under the instruction of a teacher, as the unit of organization, rather than several rooms under the principal of the school. The former plan tends toward a permanent and thorough use of the method, the latter to the dropping of the method in case the principal falls 111 or leaves the school. The schoolroom government may follow the plan of the locality in which it is situated. If it is in a city, it may be well to follow the general gen-eral plan of the city, with a mayor, judge and president of the council, all the pupils being the council, or legislative body, though it would be undesirable and impossible to reproduce all the details of a large city government. If the school is in a town, the schoolroom government should in form be that of a town; but as towns turn into cities, and people go from towns to live in cities, it is good practice, where town government is used part of the year, to use the city form the other part of the year. It is desirable to have elections as frequently as four times in the school year, that as many as practicable may enjoy the moral and educational benefit of being elected and of carrying the responsibility of the offices. In many cases it is desirabie to have elections much more frequently. "Several schoolroom governments may be joined in a school state and several states in a school national government, to look after matters which pertain to the whole school. It is possible and practicable to go still further, and join these school national governments in a federation. As has been said previously, let us reiterate: The teacher helps the pupils to become independent In solving their social and civic problems as he does the problems of mathematics. Each pupil is continually exercised in independent thinking, judicial conclusion and immediate action. To take the initiative soon becomes habitual. Co-operation for every good purpose is developed and team work becomes the ordinary practice. The teacher's authority is not weakened but strengthened strength-ened by the co-operation of the pupils in their democratic republic. Teachers Should Co-operate. "If we were to look upon this matter as if It were a mill, the mill would serve no purpose unless un-less it should have grist to grind, and in this case the grist is the government of the children's conduct con-duct to suggest useful and constructive activities activi-ties for the good of each child and the community communi-ty of pupils and of the entire community of which the children are a part. The pupils' time, minds and energies being fully occupied .doing right constructive con-structive things, the amount of wrongdoing drops to an almost negligible quantity. What there is of this is dealt with by the children in their own courts much more effectually than is possible by any other means in the reach of the teachers, even if corporal punishment is permitted, which is prohibited by law In some places. "It is not to be supposed that the children can handle these social and civic problems without the same kind of interest and assistance by the teachers that is necessary for success in any other school work; nor that the teachers can make the best use of this laboratory method of moral and civic training without the co-oryra-tion of the children's parents, and, until the teachers have become well accustomed to the new method, they need the suggestions of one who has had large experience in its use. Co-ordinates With Other Studies. "Pops this not add another burden to the teacher's already too heavy load? No. It engages en-gages the co-operation of the pupils to help the teachers bear their burdens. Does It take the time of a recitation each day or once a week? No, but It co-ordinates with other studies such as English, civics and history, and Is that good spirit which proves to be a lubricant for all recitations, for nil the machinery of the school, and releases the teachers from police duty, enabling them to give their whole time, strength and nervous force to teaching, uninterrupted by misconduet and inattention. in-attention. Relieved of the ordinary pull on the nerves and drain of one's vital strength, helping the children to develop their own character and to use the tools and processes of education for their own salvation, the teacher's work becomes exhilarating and a joy." |
