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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1939-2-15, Page 7Do We Need The Fads and Frills In Education ? Written by Rev, Ernest ,Thomas, D.O,, and reprinted from the Toron- to Daily Star, issue Feb, 6th. Periodically we hear the question which heads this article, and the time has came to examine the pr'eiudiee which is implied in the epithe15, 4. pioneer gradllgrov;er on to prairie 30 years ago sale: "I deft school before I had iinleiiel the 'third book in Onta:io and I don't see that I Have ,missed much," That is the 'sad thing --he could not see the wonderful world of interest which he had missed. George Elliott remarked that a very little water makes a parted pool tor a tiny fish and he calls It parediee The Ontario schools are neither providing tiny .pools nor keep!, small fish tiny, The great Idea of the school Pte - gram now being organized and developed in every province of 'Canada le to ensure that school 1ife. is actual living, not merely prepar •- tion for life later on. That being so, It is interwoven intimately with • the current experiences of the boys and •girls in the family, the city and the nation. ft is no longer mainly concerned with enablirte young people to collect money with the least effort, nor with adding to the Induetriel resources of the nation. Everything that happens in a classroom is to be of interest to the boys and girls in that group. For it is only through Interesting activity that the best education lo carried on. Aotive interest, not perfect science is the sign of discipline In the modern school. It must be so, for the teacher has compara- tively little to say and the pupils go FREE SERVICE OLD, DISABLED OR DEAD HORSES OR CATTLE removed promptly and efficiently. Simply phone "COLLECT" to WILLIAM STONE SONS LIMITED PHONE 21 - INGERSOLL BRUSSELS — PHONE 72 freely to the Innate' @holvOs 03 their class to get 111e books 351111113 wil ltbro'w light on the matter 10 whioh they are interested. Graull by group they gather in the senora' 7ltbrary, 1ear.:eioriea about men ant bool'e, listen to simple lyrics and for the yest of that period brows' aswong the imoltri or the shelves, After 90llool .they may come a> d take 'books out to read. 'One ronlembere when physical training, music, art and eve11 manu- al training were all regarded as fads and frills, superfluities . in 1111 school. Now they aro recognize') e5•'lent:ial 10105le of rich life, l:ren manual taming has 110 vette. Wend. ,objective, it is not prepare, title fur industry; but it is the acquisition of skill to express one's desire or taste by making , things A casual visitor to some roome would wonder what subject is being taught, but he would have no doubt that young -folk were learning something, Here, Tor instance, in kinde'rarten the little tote of live and six have toy musical instru- ments, drums, cynnlbalss or sticks. While the pianist plays familiar ales they beat out the rhythm. But we watch one laddie who is said 10 have no sense et rhythm. As first 11e :te matohFwg others to get the time from them, 'IBut gradually his Ir^^ l:gi' ms, 110 atLende to the music and beats out the time for himself. Here we see the awakea- ins of . new sensibility. Then the program changes and the pianist plays two opening bars of some classic, then stops. At once a dozen hands go up, "Well, Teddie, what was it " 'Back domes the answer, "Hrandel'a Largo," or "Rub- enstein's Melody in I"'; and through a number or masterpiecerl. Ears are attuned to the best, This awakened interest and delight they carry back into the holies. They report hearing their favorites on the radio, Remembering 0o11oo1 days 50 years ago, one misses the work of the teacher -instruction. There 1s also the very minimum of home- worik—usually none at all. The home, according to the newpro- gram, is for 'play, sleep, ani the little jobs which also minion life. ,Such preparation as is ' called for takes place in the claeercom--"sup- ervised study" they call it -and help is at hand if needed. 'Some- times instead of the pupil finding; ont alone the class has to work out the problem 'by discussion. Points 11=SNAPS40T CU.L A NEW CAMERA YEAR Progressing—moving upward into the light—this striking picture could well symbolize the serious camera hobbyist, today. HOW much did you learn about picture -taping in the past year? How much will you learn in the New Year we are now entering? This is a splendid time to take stock of yourself, examine your cam- era progress, make plats for the future, Could the figure on the stair- case above symbolize yon? Are you standing still—or are you moving upward into the light, reading more about picturC'taltiug, etudYing your pictures, taking more, and constant- ly trying to improve? Ivlueh of value !e being written these days about taking better pic- tures, Simple, practical handbooks anent photography are readily avail- able, Photo magazines contain much useful 11fo1'nlation. Manufacturers of celut,ras and Jilin ober dozens of free pamphlets riot advertising, but practical luetructicn booklets. Every Camera itohbyist should avail himself of these aids, for wider knowledge 1lolbe one make better pictures. le it your habit to study light and shadow—net Jest when tatting a pia titre, but in everythiug you see? Light and shadow are the Sub- stances of which photographs are Made. Observe them, compare melt Variations in morning and evening, on sunny and hazy days—and you will learn much about finding pit- tures that please the eye. What do you know et color filters —the little devices which, slipped over a camera lens, account for many of the striking "effect" pic- tures one sees today? Have you studied the simple rules of compo- sition that help yotl arrange pic- tures somuch more pleasingly? I expensive, elementary boons on how to make good pictures explain all these tiifug5 in a planner that any Picture -levee can undor$tand, 'Why not make the new you a period of study as well as of picture, taking? Broad knowledge is not needed to get pictures, but it helps obtain p103115es that are hotter, more pleasing, more satisryleg. And today silelt koowiedge is so easy to ac' quire! 217 John van Guilder THE BRUSSELS L'OS'T WEDNp9SEAT', FE13. 1511 939 left Por later study will be reported. 011 11eet 5eselell, and every elieat10ii is subject to re -opening 10 the light of new 11131 cry, lirllat. doee 11118 mesh?". We :read the. departninet,i Program, "It is to be thought of in terms of activity and ex1erlenc rather than of knowledge to be 33001:rod and facts to be stored." A child, "learns by 1113 activity, and 115 the satisfaction found in Its own active effort,' This gives a jolt to the good people who are constant— ly asking thet someone be sent to visit schools to talk on some sub' feet or other. Here 111e child s amh'es on to something new-- de:rignedly as far as the teacher is coneeined — and being interesteit, tries to find out more, Thus, with- out any suggestion of 'being taught he is manifestly leanneng. And this is what education means today After eight or ten years of this life will he go out from school hating the sight of a book or uuarble to fled sa.tleta'ctlon in anything more than watching others at sport? So, too, with health, This not s subject to be taught. Not what a child knows about health, but what he does is the education. The lunch hour may provide the most educe. Live expetience, The pursuit or health pervades the whole school. The color of wa113 and. ceiling, the arrangement of furniture, the pic- tures on the wall and arrangeme.lt oe light --mil make for emotional satialaotion which is one .major basis of health. The manual training of the boy parallels the household work of the 'girls. in higher grades art and music are now to be compulsory subjects in all high schools. When every child has a eultivated seust- bility to whet is lovely, beautiful fu color and proportion, he Is' bettee qualified for clvdllzed, life, w3rich Is living, according to design. Since art lays emphasis on form rather than mere bulk,' satisfaction in orderly habits for self and society, will halve deeper roots in experience and will bring more satisfaction and emotional harmony. Life is harmon- ized and healthy, Parents will be puzzled when their young folk come borne with no home work and tell what they bar ebeen doing. "We never did that kind of tbing In our school days." Hence there will be great need for active training of parents In home and school clubs, and the glad•ual adoption in the home of 51i1ndlar methods, Life becomee creative in all directions. 'As one wanders through several classrooms in the present-day school, he recalls words of one of our greatest thinkers: "The educa- tion of the past centred in gallica Instructions and skills, in future it will also emphasize apprecia11on and intuition." This is what is happening in On- tario ,Schools and it seems good, WALTON (Intended for last week) Mrs, Andrew Bruce or Grey is visiting her sister, Mrs. Margaret Dougherty at Blyth, Mrp. C, Hamilton and, Mrs, .Toe Hamilton of the East Boundary pent Sun•d:ay afternoon with Mrs Hugh Fulton, Mr. John Balfour of Leadbnry pent an afternoon with friends is Walton. rig, and Mrs. 0, 0111, London, is spending a rsnv days with the r dutt- ghter, Mr, and .Mrs, Iien, Ferg, M1', Robert Young, Port Huron, spent the week -end with bis daughter Mrs, Joe'Campbell who returned, with hi matter spending a few weeks at Port Huron, Mr. and Mrs, Russell Marks spent a fear days In Toronto last week. hers, Joe Sellers Jamestown spent the past nveels with her sons, 'Charles and, Harold Sellers, Mrs. D. Steles spent the pas_ week with her daughter, Mrs, 3. J'tutledge, HURON OW BOYS' ASSOOIATION The ann:al picnic of the Heron 01d Boys' Association of Toronto will be held at the Canadian Nation. al Exhibition grounds of Wednes- day afternaon, Jtrae 2151, The annual church se1'vlees of the above assaacin.tion will be held hi St, Paul's Clime% Bathurst Street, on February 12th, Nile cbaplahi of the nesoeiatiou, Rev. 11, l+, McDerutld will conduct the services. The annual euchre and bridge or the Heron 'Old Boys' Association will be held in the Liberty Ball Roost, 201:3 Dtulrlas St., West, 're- route, Cu Wednesday eveuhig, Feb. when lunch will be served iiid good privies will bo awarded to the 111(1113 111nyera, Qodericli Jail Cells To Re Made Fireproof W111 he Re -Lined With Fireproof Material, Committee Decides; Caretaker Gets Uniform Tile county of Huron Property Committee, of w111eh James Leiper, Reeve of Hullett, is chairman, met 00 Thursday afteruoou here, They conferred with Judge Cos- tello regarding exchanging the division court office with that of the treasurer's in order to give More space and vault aecommoda- tion to the latter. The purchase of a reproducing machine for the treasurer's office and of a new desk and furniture for the sheriff's office was author- ized, Steps were also taken towards snaking the century.old jail fire- proof by carrying cue part of the report or the Inspector of Pristine erad at the County ,Council meeting be re -lining the cells with iirepeeof coating, and by installing four nenc Wets and wash rooms. The request from Mrs. Mk:Pherson registrar, for extra caretaker at the Registry Office, was granted, and she was authorized to employ a Charwoman at $35 per year, Some new filing equipment will be pur- chased for the registry office, Uniform For Caretaker That the finances of the county are looking up was evidenced when the committee authorized the put chases or a new uniform with two pairs of trousers for the caretake^. Last year he just got one pair of trousers. Points of Etiquette on Rural ,Telephones The Owen Sound Sun states some Interesting pointe in telephone eti- quette were .brought out at annu- al meeting of a neanby rural tele. Phone company, The matter of "ltstendng in" or interfering with a conversation was taken up, and it was decided that a fine of 5.00 will be imposed on anyone found gdilty of those offences, In the course of the discussion one subscriber ask- ed: "How long are you supposed to talk?" "Three minutes," ' he was informed. It is easy to understand the com- plaint of one subscriber, that at times it was praotirally ,impossible to secure the line, A party line with perhaps ten or a dozen connections represents a lot of possible convcr- For Grefgter Results and Bigger ProTIts Feed Sun -Bail Chick Starters Laying Mash Poultry Concentrate Pig Starter Hog Concentrates Dairy Concentrates F. S. SAMIS Brussels Phone 80 sations, and there are bound to be times when one or three will want the line. But a lot of the trouble could be avoided if people would sticlr strictly to the three-minute limit instead of settling themsetvee comfortably for an extended "visit" over the 'phone. Three mnlutes may see mlige a long time when o e is waiting to get off an important nlesaage, but it is not so long that say interest is likely to suffer by the short delay. This business of "visiting" on the phone is more, we believe, a matter of thoughtlessness than any- thing else. Or, perhaps, just an- other form of eellishneas. As for "listening in" it is in the same class as reading other people's letters, A 5.00 fine is not a bi: too stiff. Do those who indulge iu it ever stop to consider what a dean triok it is Evidently not, for often when one calls a rural line he can hear the clicks of sever- al receiver$ as they are picked I .rrom their hooks. 1 After all, the whole code of tele- phone etiquette may be summed ap in the two short sentences—"Mimi your own business" and "Other pe ogle have rig-hts.' A "SOFT CUSHION JOB" Tradition has it that the farmer is a tiller of the soil who "home- ward plods his weary way" and en- vies the city dweller who has a white collar or soft cushioned job, 1 This will hold good no longer for at last he has caught up with his ur'i ban brother, In the showing of 1939 motor veh- icles appears a tractor with an en- closed cab, safety glass, cueshioned seats for two, is air -ventilated and provided with a heater for cold weather an electric cigarette light- er, complete set of head and tail Iights, and even a radio. Besides pulling plows and harrows across the field it can "go to town" at forty miles an hour hauling ane or more trucks to market•- ,Tust as a sugges- tion, it may be used for joy-ridiag on moonlight nightts—To say the least, this should be a great in- dueemeut for a back to the land movement, Rise In Prices Of Cattle Seen During 1939—Improved Price Of Scef Cattle Expected Of Reduction Marketings Some improvement in beef cattle ,prices may be e___ 1cted during 1939, according to the Agricultural Situation and Outlook for 1939, which is about to be released by the Dominion Departments of A; riculture and Trade and Commerce, The prospective Improvement is based on the expected reduction in cattle marketings during 1939, and a stronger domestic demand as 11 result of improving business condi. tions. The reduced duty on cattle entering the United States is also expedted to lens support to the market .in Canada. Numbers of cattle on farms at June 1, 1936, 'were fewer than at the same date in 1937 and it is ex- pected a further reduction will he shown in the mirlsumaner of 1939, Cattle numbers tend to fluctuate ep and down in a nycle of about le years from peak to peak. It is an- ticipated that the present down- ward trend In cattle numbers will continue through 1939 and possibly 1940. "Is your husband wearing a new suit" 'IBM he looks different." "Ile is, He's new haaband," It Takes A To Smell Out A Rabbit But a Hound would make a poor job of hunting out cust- omers for that small article the Average Person wants to sell now and then. When you want t ► sell, Buy Rent Exchange or Hire, hunt your Prospects in the Mod- ern Way. x0101(1x ut a Small Ad. On Their Trail!