In time we may come to realize that
physical soundness and mental soundness are but sequences of moral
soundness, or, in other words, that a sound body and a sound mind are
manifestations of a right spirit. But, for the present, we may waive this
consideration and think of the three phases of integrity--physical, mental
and moral. If, at the age of eighteen years, the boy or girl emerges from
school experience sound in body, in mind, and in spirit, society will
affirm that education has been effective. To develop young persons of this
type is a work that is worthy the best efforts of the home, the school,
the church and society, nor can any one of these agencies shift or shirk
responsibility. The school has a large share of this responsibility, and
those whose duty it is to formulate a course of study may well ask
themselves what procedure of the school will best assist the child to
attain integrity by means of the school activities.
In our efforts to generate this quality of integrity, or, indeed, any
quality, it must be kept clearly in mind every day and every hour of the
day that the children with whom we have to do are not all alike. On the
contrary, they differ, and often differ widely, in respect of mental
ability, environment, inheritances, and native disposition. If they were
all alike, it would be most unfortunate, but we could treat them all alike
in our teaching and so fix and perpetuate their likeness to one another.
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