10
Christian Education
mother, for the time being, to gratify them than to withhold that for
which her children clamor.
Had the system of education generations back been conducted
upon altogether a different plan, the youth of this generation would
not now be so depraved and worthless. The managers and teachers
of schools should have been those who understood physiology, and
who had an interest, not only to educate youth in the sciences, but to
teach them how to preserve health, in order to use their knowledge to
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the best account after they had obtained it. There should have been in
connection with the schools, establishments for various branches of
labor, that the students might have employment, and necessary exercise
out of school hours.
The students’ employment and amusements should have been
regulated with reference to physical law, and adapted to preserve to
them the healthy tone of all the powers of the body and mind. Then
their education in practical business could have been obtained, while
their literary progress was being secured. Students at school should
have had their moral sensibilities aroused to see and feel that society
had claims upon them, and that they should so live in obedience to
natural law that they could, by their existence and influence, by precept
and example, be an advantage and blessing to society. It should be
impressed upon youth that all have an influence that is constantly
telling upon society, to improve and elevate, or to lower and debase
it. The first study of youth should be to know themselves, and how to
keep their bodies in health.
Many parents have kept their children at school nearly the year
round. These children have gone through the routine of study mechan-
ically, and they have not retained that which they learned. Many of
these constant students seem almost destitute of intellectual life. The
monotony of continual study wearies the mind, and they have but little
interest in their lessons, and to many, the application to books becomes
painful. They had not an inward love of thought, and ambition to
acquire knowledge. They did not encourage in themselves reflection,
and investigation of objects and things.
Children are in great need of proper education, in order that their
lives should be of use in the world. But any effort that exalts intellectual
culture above moral training is misdirected. Instructing, cultivating,
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polishing, and refining youth and children should be the main burden