bailey] HUMANISTIC ELEMENT IN EDUCATION 47 



It is the unfortunate impediment against nature-study, in the 

 estimation of many persons, that it fits only partially into the 

 regulated schemes of education so much prized at the present. 

 Pressed into these patterns it loses much of its freedom. Situa- 

 tions in nature are unfortunately disregardful of a syllabus and 

 unconcerned of "credits." Even our nature-study writers are 

 likely to take the attitude that nature-study must be so regularized 

 as to allow it to be handled uniformly in all schools by all teachers. 

 We are verily obsessed of uniformity, as if it had merit in itself. 

 By this dominated uniformity we withhold the best teachers, dis- 

 courage the mutations that make for progress, and stand in the 

 way of leadership. I think we should encourage departures. 



It is possible, I am convinced, to apply enacted law to education 

 for the purpose of safeguarding public funds and establishing an 

 institution for the advancement of all the people at the same time 

 that we allow the development of the full personality and initiative 

 of strong teachers. Good system and method are much to be 

 encouraged if they are in the nature of tested educational programs, 

 founded on what we hope will some day be the science of education. 

 This is very different from implanted governmental orders and 

 insistence on the mere machinery of operation. Our law-made 

 education, paper projects, and office regulation force our work into 

 the plane of uniform mediocrity. All uniformity is mediocre. 



I do not care to have nature-study similarly or equally taught in 

 all schools. I hope something better for it than this. We are 

 now in the grip of an artificial standardized system, matching well 

 with the present theory of civilization. In due time, however, we 

 shall return to the old conception of teaching, which is the principle 

 of discipleship. 



What, then, is my plea this morning? This only: that human 

 beings are prime subjects for nature-study; that the old distinc- 

 tions between the humanities and the sciences, represented in many 

 catch-words, are essentially false; that nature-study stands for the 

 spirit rather than for the form, and is to that extent a saving grace 

 in the dominated systems of the day. I would make nature-study 

 contribute to brotherhood. Nature is not an organized and classi- 

 fied procedure, as are the institutions of human affairs: the 

 ultimate truth in nature is not yet discovered in statutory 

 educational svstems. 



