Chap. 1 - Proper Education.
It is the nicest work ever assumed by men and women to deal with youthful minds. The greatest
care should be taken in the education of youth to vary the manner of instruction so as to call forth the
high and noble powers of the mind. Parents and teachers of schools are certainly disqualified to educate
children properly, if they have not first learned the lessons of self-control, patience, forbearance,
gentleness, and love. What an important position for parents, guardians, and teachers! There are
very few who realize the most essential wants of the mind, and how to direct the developing intellect,
the growing thoughts and feelings of youth.
There is a period for training children, and a time for educating youth. And it is essential that
both of these be combined in a great degree in the schools. Children may be trained for the service
of sin or for the service of righteousness. The early education of youth shapes their character in this
life, and in their religious life. Solomon says: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when
he is old, he will not depart from it.” [Proverbs 22:6.] This language is positive. The training which
Solomon enjoins is to direct, educate, and develop. In order for parents and teachers to do this work,
they must themselves understand the way the child should go. This embraces more than merely having
a knowledge of books. It takes in everything that is good, virtuous,
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righteous, and holy. It comprehends the practice of temperance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love
to God, and to each other. In order to attain to this object, the physical, mental, moral, and religious
education of children must have attention.
In households and in schools the education of children should not be like the training of dumb
animals; for children have an intelligent will, which should be directed to control all their powers. The
dumb animals need to be trained; for they have not reason and intellect. The human mind must be
taught self-control. It must be educated to rule the human being, while the animal is controlled by the
master. The beast is trained to be submissive to his master. The master is mind, judgment, and will for
his beast. A child may be so trained as to have, like the beast, no will of his own. His individuality
may even be submerged in the one who superintends his training, and the will is, to all intents and
purposes, subject to the will of the teacher.
Children who are thus educated will ever be deficient in moral energy and individual responsibility.
They have not been taught to move from reason and principle. Their will was controlled by another,
and the mind was not called out, that it might expand and strengthen by exercise. They were not
directed and disciplined with respect to their peculiar constitution and capabilities of mind, to put forth
their strongest powers when required. Teachers should not stop here, but give special attention to
the cultivation of the weaker faculties, that all the powers may be brought into exercise, and carried
forward from one degree of strength to another, that the mind may attain to due proportions.
Children should be taught to respect experienced judgment, and be guided by their parents and
teachers. They should be so educated that their minds
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will be united with the minds of their parents and teachers, and so instructed that they can see the
propriety of heeding their counsel. Then when they shall go forth from the guiding hand of their
parents and teachers, their characters will not be like the reed trembling in the wind.
God never designed that one human mind should be under the complete control of another human
mind. And those who make efforts to have the individuality of their pupils submerged in themselves,
and they be mind, will, and conscience for their pupils, assume fearful responsibilities. These scholars
may, upon certain occasions, appear like well-drilled soldiers. But when the restraint is removed, there
will be seen a want of independent action from firm principle, existing in them. But those who make
it their object so to educate their pupils that they may see and feel that the power lies in themselves
to make men and women of firm principle, qualified for any position in life, are the most useful and
permanently successful teachers. Their work may not show to the very best advantage to careless
observers, and their labors may not be valued as highly as the teacher who holds the will and mind of
his scholars by absolute authority, but the future lives of the pupils will show the fruits of the better
plan of education.
There is danger of both parents and teachers commanding and dictating too much, while they fail to
come sufficiently into social relation with their children, or their scholars. They often hold themselves
too much reserved, and exercise their authority in a cold, unsympathizing manner, which cannot win
the hearts of their children and pupils. If they would gather the children close to them, and show that
they love them, and manifest an interest in all their efforts, and even in their sports, and sometimes be
even a child among them, they would make the children
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very happy, would gain their love, and win their confidence. And the children would sooner respect
and love the authority of their parents and teachers.
The principles and habits of the teacher should be considered of greater importance than even his
literary qualifications. If the teacher is a sincere Christian, he will feel the necessity of having an equal
interest in the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual education of his scholars. In order to exert the
right influence, he should have perfect control over himself, and his own heart should be richly imbued
with love for his pupils, which will be seen in his looks, words, and acts. He should have firmness of
character; then he can mould the minds of his pupils, as well as instruct them in the sciences.
The early education of youth generally shapes their character for life. Those who deal with the
young should be very careful to call out the qualities of the mind, that they may better know how to
direct their powers, and that they may be exercised to the very best account.
Many children have been ruined for life by urging the intellect, and neglecting to strengthen the
physical powers. Many have died in childhood because of the course pursued by injudicious parents
and school-teachers in forcing their young intellects, by flattery or fear, when they were too young
to see the inside of a school-room. Their minds have been taxed with lessons, when they should not
have been called out, but kept back until the physical constitution was strong enough to endure mental
effort. Small children should be left as free as lambs to run out-of-doors, to be free and happy, and
should be allowed the most favorable opportunities to lay the foundation for sound constitutions.
Parents should be the only teachers of their children until they have reached eight or ten years of
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age. As fast as their minds can comprehend it, the parents should open before them God’s great book
of nature. The mother should have less love for the artificial in her house, and in the preparation of
her dress for display, and should find time to cultivate, in herself and in her children, a love for the
beautiful buds and opening flowers. By calling the attention of her children to their different colors and
variety of forms, she can make them acquainted with God, who made all the beautiful things which
attract and delight them. She can lead their minds up to their Creator, and awaken in their young hearts
a love for their heavenly Father, who has manifested so great love for them. Parents can associate God
with all his created works. The only school-room for children from eight to ten years of age should
be in the open air, amid the opening flowers and nature’s beautiful scenery. And their only text book
should be the treasures of nature. These lessons, imprinted upon the minds of young children amid the
pleasant, attractive scenes of nature, will not be soon forgotten.
In order for children and youth to have health, happiness, vivacity, and well-developed muscle and
brain, they should be much in the open air, and have well-regulated employment and amusement.
Children and youth who are kept at school, and confined to books, cannot have sound physical
constitutions. The exercise of the brain in study, without corresponding physical exercise, has a
tendency to attract the blood to the brain, and the circulation of the blood through the system becomes
unbalanced. The brain has too much blood, and the extremities too little. There should be rules
regulating their studies to certain hours, and then a portion of their time should be spent in physical
labor. And if their habits of eating, dressing, and sleeping were in accordance with physical law, they
could