304 
WISCONSIN STATE AOEICULTURAL SOCIETY, 
ing the young is largely entrusted to women, and for obvious rea¬ 
sons, wisely. 
Are our schools doing their utmost to give mental strength to our 
children? The writer enters upon the consideration with some 
misgiving. Nevertheless, he has fault to find. Of the system of 
books he makes no complaint. The steps from simple to complex 
are many, gradual, and natural. But the demands made upon the 
pupil are arbitrary, excessive, amd unnatural. The personality of 
the pupil is ignored. The class is a machine that is presumed to 
, be able to do a certain amount of work, and so its task is set. The 
individual pupils are assumed to be parts, each perfectly fullfilling 
his function, in making a perfect whole. Now if all these parts 
had been made of the same material, had all been fashioned by the 
same wise and skillful hand, the expectation would not be extrava¬ 
gant. But such an assumption is so notoriously untrue, that it may 
seem unnecess ry to state it, and yet class training proceeds upon 
the theory that it is true. Undoubtedly all brains can do some 
work, and so can all muscles, in a sound condition; but it is never 
safe to assume that either can do a given amount of work, until 
proven by individual experience. Class work takes no note of 
natural endowments. Class work takes no note of mental aptitudes. 
Class work takes no note of physical condition, but pushes all for¬ 
ward into the same column and demands of all the same dav’s work. 
c/ 
No ambulances for the foot-sore — no stretchers for wounded brains 
— no light for dim eyes — no hints to beclouded minds — no better 
way to the uncertain, struggling brain; but all, shoulder to shoulder, 
must reach the same goal, at the same time, or sink by the way, 
humiliated and disgraced. 
Such is not the way to break colts. Such is not the way to edu¬ 
cate brains. But it is a most excellent way to disorganize, discour¬ 
age and make them trifling, and of little worth. The object of 
education should be to make healthy, sturdy, robust, symmetrical 
persons, which cannot be done when the individual is subordinated 
to the class. Most, if not all, brains at times need help, which the 
present class system almost entirely ignores. It is not meant that 
natural aptitudes should be so regarded as to make them the foun¬ 
dation upon which .education should bo based. The object being 
strength, solidity and dexterity, it may be necessary to repress ten¬ 
dencies, and to stimulate and develop w’eak points. Aptitudes 
