8o6 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



activity is spontaneous, the result of an inside motive. How to 

 teach children to desire to undertake and stick to scjiool work, 

 whether the teacher be present or absent, tradition does not state. 

 To be sure, children's questioning in school as a real educative 

 force and a rule of practice is, it may be, startlingly new ; but 

 any means, precedented or unprecedented, that will certainly re- 

 sult in spontaneous activity should be earnestly sought for and 

 fairly used. 



The idea of educating children through their activities has of 

 late years found expression in giving them something to do with 

 their hands, as seen in the various forms of manual training. 

 The advocates and teachers of this work indulge the thought and 

 give the impression that it brings out children's self-activities re- 

 markably well. Many fondly believe that by means of it the 

 " whole boy " is sent to school. Nevertheless, his self-activities 

 seem to have but little more opportunity for development than 

 before the doing era, advantageous as that really is. Children 

 in all departments of manual training are taught, instructed, 

 crammed, compelled, it may be, as of old, and then they work out 

 the instruction with head and hand, whereas formerly the head 

 only attempted to follow instructions, more often unsuccessfully. 

 Certainly a great advance was made by the introduction of manual 

 training ; but spontaneous self-activity is not a leading motive in 

 the work, if any at all. The work is prescribed. 



The child's curiosity or investigating spirit does not receive its 

 satisfaction in any form of manual training now in use. Indi- 

 vidual experimentation and investigation have small place in it, 

 so that the need of other educational forces is felt. The spirit of 

 inquiry is much less apparent in school than out. "Whose fault 

 is it ? Surely not the children's. Nature studies are doing the 

 most to foster the spirit of inquiry, manual training hardly any- 

 thing. Constructiveness is important, but no more important 

 in education than investigation. Investigation and voluntary 

 work are the expressions of self-activities, while prescribed work 

 is the expression of activities governed by a temporary, outside, 

 dominating influence. 



In connection with manual training H. Courthope Bowen says 

 in his work on Froebel and Self-activities : " Broadly speaking, 

 Pestalozzi's plan is one of observing and imitating ; Froebel's, one 

 of observing and inventing. To exer'cise the creative, originating 

 powers of the child is Froebel's main object ; to teach the child to 

 speak and to do work already prescribed is largely the aim of Pes- 

 talozzi. Froebel's plan, therefore, more directly tends to develop 

 independence and originality of character." To carry out Froebel's 

 plan children must have far more true liberty in thought and ac- 

 tion in school than they now have. Their spirit and temper must 



