MORAL TRAINING.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 1199, 5 May 1875, Page 2 (Supplement)

MORAL TRAINING.

From the Timarit Herald) April 11: : No educational system can havo a claim to perraanenco unleaa it recogoitsuj tho truth that education has two great ends, to which everything olso must bo subordinated. The odo of tlicno is to increase knowledge ; the other is to develop the love of right and the hatred of wrong. • ■ : HxrxLET. ; The author of " Lay Sermons, Addresses, and Reviews," has proved himself to be not only a keen thinker and j a powerful writer, but also, m sjiite of all the charges brought against him by those whom he sarcastically 1 calls "ecclesiastically-minded' persons," a philanthropist m the best sense' Of the word. There cannot, we think, be a better criterion for us of the soundness of the dictum placed at the head of this article, than its marvellously close application to the circumstances which surround ourselves. Written or spoken by Professor Huxley for the benefit of Liverpool operatives, of London mechanics, of Committees of the Legislature struggling to remedy what seem hopeless anoinalies,j'for 'all grades of society m an- ancient,; concrete civilisation; the Essay on Scientific Education is also absolutely true m its general features, for the dawning conditions of this young country^ The necessity for making our national system of education teach morality as well as knowledge, is already forcing itself upon the notica of all who are watching with any care the mental growth of the people ; and the evils resulting from negleot of either or both of these objects, are even now but too apparent. Mr Justice Williams m his charge to the Grand Jury at Cbristchurch on Monday last, touched on this point with admirable precision; and his remarks may be taken as a practical corollary from Huxley's more speculative propositions. The Professor brings his wonderfully well-balanced and philosophical mind, as well as his vast experience m teaching, to bear from a distance on social problemswith which nevertheless he has perhaps little actual acquaintance. The Judge on the other hand comes face to face with those problems m their every day aspect ; ana the decision of each is m harmony with that of the other. :" Ignorance," says Mr Williams, " is "the parent of many crimes, but for"gery, and crimes of fraud generally, " reqaire n certain amount of education "to perpetrate them successfully. As "education becomes more widely diffused, it: may reasonably be expected ";that 6rimes ; of violence will 1 diminish, i " butit will indeed be unfortunate if | " crimes of fraud become more preva"lent.- In this: i province efforts "are being made to promote 1 education! " If these efforts are ; to produce good " fruit, it must ever be borne m mind " that education, to be complete, must " develop the moral sentiments as wail "as the intellectual powers. Do not "think that I wish for a moment to ■"■ enter on the vexed question of' reli"gious education.': I merely urge the "importance of some > morul' training; ''that children at<our State schools " may be taught to admire what is I " noble and ,generousj ' and to detest v what is mean, and may become up-r "right and honorable men and women; I " We must look to the education of the "emotions, as well as to the mechani- " oal acquirement of knowledge, if we "wish to reap the full benefit of education as a preventative of crime and "as a means of producing good "citizens." ; ; ! Before going any further into the subject, let us place side by side With this passage, Professor Huxley's vigorous verdict on existing educational systems. "At present, education is " almost entirely devoted to the culti- " vation of the power of expression, and uof the sense of literary beauty. The " matter of having anything to say, " beyond a hash of other people's " opinions, or of possessing any criterion of beauty, so that we may dis- " tinguish between the Godlike and the | "devilish, is left aside as of no mo,"meht." ■;■' What is wanted then, is, not only instructions but training. The ancient Persians are said to have taught their children only two thingi, to speak the truth and to use the bow ; and it would be well if we were able now to bring 'up our youth m What those things signify, namely, honor and manliness. An effort should' be made m our public schools to form the habits of the pupils; to accustom them m short to do what is right, as well as merely to enable them to' know, what is right. It is mainly' a habitual indifference; to' small points of honor, joined with the. hateful desire, for ' money,' which 1 leads 1 to the' commission of crimes' of fraud'; and it should be the object of teachers^ ;to establish' m 'the' minds' of their pupils the Highest possible' standard 'of honesty ; whilst endeavoring to lead them toother and loftier aims than the quick acquisition of wealth. It may've^y'reaspnahly be advanced ■that the State is not responsible for' the'

moral training 1 of its youth ; that it bus dona its duty when it has furnished the means of intellectual culture ; and that it remains for parents and home influence to do the rest. Such a proposition seems prima facie- sound enough j but a very Jittle reflection will show that it is not so. We want to raise the character of our people, not to leave it where it is j to undo by the education of our schools, tho education of the streets, and too often even that of the family circle. Is it not a patent and very painful fact that a large proportion of the children attending; our public schools, lire during their leisure m an atmosphere of evil ? Do they not hear bad language constantly from those whom they are naturally most prone to imitate? Are they not taught hy example to believe that drunken- I ness is a very venial offence, and by precept that petty dishonesty, sharptrading, " getting the beat of " another, ! making a smart bargain, is something to be admired ? Can it be asserted that m most, or even m very many colonial homes there is any moral training at all ? It is melancholy to see the extent to which children are neglected by their parents m New Znaland, even among the educated classes ; how they are allowed to associate with the worst company ; to acquire low habits and low ideas, without an efforttopreventit; and to become familiarised with every form of vice, before they are old enough, to appreciate its danger. We grieve to admitit, b'utitis literally true, that for the formation of character and the developing the best impulses of our youth, suchhome influence as exists generally m this colony, is positively injurious; and it is to this more than anything else that we attribute the inferior quality of the first generation of colonists. To. remedy, this thie. State must make an effort j andcombine with its highly creditable exertions m affording* instruction, an efficient plan of discipline for moral training. Were this plan to be firmly adopted and persistently, conscientiously carried out, the. pupils attending our public schools, would m course of time exercise a powerful though silent and unobtrusive influence on their home -circlo. Fathers and elder brothers would be ashamod to get drunk or use foul words, or avow mean, sordid principles, if. they felt that the children were shocked or ashamed by them ; and self-respect, the very best sort of schoolmaster, would be quietly introduced into many a household, where at present the very worst is hard at work.