Bay of Plenty Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1910. MORAL TRAINING.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5569, 28 October 1910, Page 2

Bay of Plenty Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1910. MORAL TRAINING.

It has been truly said that the centre of human progress is moral growth, and we arc •men and citizens by virtue .of the strength o f our moral lib re. There is a physical growth, an intellectual growth", and a moral growth, and the highest <-ype of manhood can be produced only when all three are harmoniously blended and developed. Jn the world to-day, intellect aiHf morals are, in the majority of cases, happily united, but the world is full of shocking examples of physical yiants blighted and debased through lack of tho necessary -moral fibre. Some remarks on the above subject made by Mr a n. Fi iimui!ki ut meetiug o f tho Otago. District Teachers' Institute, are worthy of notice. Mr Ftaanank says : ■'•'Among rightthinking people character counts and rightly counts, f or inorc lhan either physical o r intellectual strength. Seeing that this is so we must be careful that, in our commendable zeal for physical and intellectual development, we do not neglect tho development of the higher powers of morality and virtue Moral growth is slow, and, if it is to bo sure, virtuous principles must be inculcated from the very beginning of child life, .even before the child can spell the word 'virtue,' much less recognise his actions under that name. Virtue must become a habit and such, it can become only by judicious and patient training *{ n " uusellishness. judgment, self-reliance and self-control, so that our youtH may become considerate of the rights of others ? that they may use their common sense to enable thorn to distinguish between right and wrong; and that, having so distinguished' they may have sufficient moral courage -and reliance in their own powers ever to do the right in the varying ; circumstances of life. . . . Among ! the ancient classical nations the home training of tho youth was considered of the first importance. Plato regarded a good education as that which gives to the body and the soul all the beauty amf perfection of which they are capable. Instruction in money-maJcing arts, physical training, o r manual knowledge of any kind, does not deserve the name of education unless it is accompanied by morality and intelligence.' With regard to moral training in the home, he says : 'As soon as anyono understands what is said, nurse, mother. ix<lasogw\ and Hho father him6elf vie with each other in this, how the boy may become as good as possible ; in every} word and deed teaching and pointing out to him that this is just and that unjust ; this is honourable and that basci ; this you must do ami that you must not do. If the boy obeys willingly it is well, but if not. like a tree twisted and bent, they make him straight by throats and blows.' The Roman mothers, too. we are told 'found their chief del%ht in faithfully forming, Jor the first- six or seven years, ihe language, ideas ami moral st-Mt-imeats of Ui»ir children." Among the Egyptians ajul the Persians the children were ob'ecls o r parental pride, air! the i<t-i»ost carwas IK-siowed upon their moral training. When we take into consideration the so-called nilvantaires we now possess. wo nre unwillinelv fomd to tho Conclusion that, in

many .instances, there is on alarmlog ilrcfcncracy in tiho quality- of Mi? homo ii-ainintr of tlie pro.soni day. I^p causer of such ilecwrflcv «rr> to he found in th<? sm-re-a'v-.i huntl.^ ( >f life

arising out of the,demands of mod- : crn civilisation-, in the keenness of the struggle for existence, in tho amount of labour and time expended, in the production of material to supply the artificial; taste^ and created wants of the times, in the inordinate love of amusement and sport, in the difficulty of procuring suitable domestic helps, and in the demands of the etiquette of much of ojur modern society. Surely, in. the interests of ourselves and our children, there is need for a return to the simpler life. There is no time for home training nowadays. Hardworking parents of large families who have not the means to afford he\p even if they could obtain it deserve- our deepest sympathy. And yet it is such homes where many children, through the very force of circumstances, perform those little deeds of love and self-sacrifice which form the basis of noblo character. On the other hand, no sympathy whatever can bo extended to many parents, -who, though in a position to secure domestic help, often regard children as a hindrance to their social life, and their companionship as something to bo tolerated rather than enjoyed. The chief fault in the homo training of "to-day is the lac:-: of parental control. Unquestioning obedience, whether voluntary or involuntary, must be the rule of life from earliest childhood until a man becomes master of his own business. Otherwise, nil business would soon be at an end and utter chaos the result. Obedience soon becomes a l'.nbit, and in the interests of the child it should be insisted liipon from the very earliest stages. . . Too often the child really rules the homo. Ho is pampered and indulged luntil he has insufficient backbone to do t-ny-thing that does not appeul to his sense of enjoyment ; his will is subservient to his passions ; he is wanting in obedience and respect ; and he is allowed to stand open-mouthed drinking in tho conversations 01 his elders, every now <and then interjecting his own opinions on the merits of 'tho case under discussjion. . .

Thrift Is a virtue, and yet the lack of thrift among our children is deplorable. Repeated indulgence with sweets has strengthened, it" it has not created, tastes, tho means of satisfying which can bo procured' only with money. Is it to be wondered at that, when a child honestly earns a penny, he cannot rest until he has spent it on gome trash or other which helps to ruin both hie Uvth and his digestive organs." Mr Flamank deals at considerable length with the subject, and" we regret that want of space precludes full rcfen.-ncu to the address. Some of the salient points, however, have been mentioned, and are quite sufficient to remind parents and gaiardiuns of a more serious recognition of their sacred responsibilities.