A medical missionary illustrates this combination of historical and
natural science elements. His life purpose is drawn from history, from
the life of Christ, and from the traditional incentives of the church.
The means by which he is to make himself practically felt are obtained
from his study of medicine and from the sciences upon which it depends.
These elements form the basis of his influence. This illustration
however savors of professional rather than of general education, and we
are concerned only with the latter. But the education of every child
is analogous to that of the medical missionary in its two constituent
elements.
As a matter of fact neither history nor natural science occupies any
such prominence in the school course as we have judged fitting. Much
thoughtful study, experience in teaching, and pioneer labor in
partially new fields will be necessary in order to bring into existence
such a course of study based upon the best materials. Many teachers
already recognize the necessity for it and see before them a land of
plenty as compared with the half-desert barrenness revealed in our
present school course.
Two powerful convictions in the minds of those responsible for
education have contributed to produce this desert-like condition in
children's school employments, and this brings us to a discussion of
the overestimation in which purely _formal studies_ are held.
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