Moral Training.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 22, 29 May 1902, Page 15

Moral Training.

Dr. Wu Ting-fang, Chinese Minister to the United States, visited Philadelphia recently for the purposo of lecturing under the auspices of the Educational Association of that city. The subject of hiR lecture was, ' A Comparative View of American and Chinese Education.' In the course c.f his remarks the lecturer said :— I have visited many of your colleges and schools. My candid judgment compels me to s'»y that there is something here that is a little lacking. Unless lam grievously mistaken, your system of education is airected merely to mental training. In other words, you develop the "tudentR 1 brains ; you teach them useful subjects which will enable them to gain a livelihood. Your boys and girls have a general knowledge, perhaps superficial, in the subjects useful in in life. But let me ask, does education consist only in mental training — is that the only object toward which education should be directed 1 Are these enough to make a boy or girl a good member of society I No doubt they are calculated to make them good mem-,' bers of the community. But a man is not here to learn simplyuseful subjects. I think that morality should be cultivated, I have seen the most learned men through lack of moral principles reduced to wrecks of what they might have been. In China we teach respect to heaven and earth, reverence to . our sovereign, rulers, teachers and parents. This is the basis of ', education in China. In America you have in your educational system everything but moral training. I have often asked why moral training is not taught in the schools and have been told that ' is left to the parents. But the parents are too busy.