Essex District High School - Argus Yearbook (Essex, Ontario Canada)

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in the marketplace; that mathematics is not taught to enable one to re¬ cite formulas; but that intellectual and well-organized subjects such as these play a major part in the development of the thinking processes of the human brain. K’ith a disciplined, well-developed, wholesome mind, tho student graduating from an ideal school would be prepared to fend for .himself in this modern, competitive world. He would realise that in a demo¬ cratic land such as Canada, one has great freedom, but one also has rc3ponsibilities to live up to. The.well-educated citizen of a democracy must have self-control, be noble of conduct, and have charity and xvillingness to concede, and to accept his responsibilities. He must bo so educ ted and informed as to be free from bigotry, ignorance , and intolerance, for these are the seeds of the ruin of democracy. .If one is learned, informed, and knows how to live decently in this modern world, the reason must be that he has obtained a thorough, all-embracing education. An ideal school would provide this, throu-h a carefully selected course of study, taught by competent teachers, in a proper atmosphere for learning. The ability to aporeciate the finest of all kinds of entertaining and cultural aspects of life should be instilled in ev ry student. Each student’s aesthetic sense should be developed at all costs. The great literary gems of Dumas, Browning, Keats, Tennyson, and Shakespeare, to name only a few, should be explained thorough ' , and an oporeciation and working knowledge of them should bo taught to the student. Likewise young people should be exposed to art and music, so that they may also develop a taste for those. Whether tho music is the swinging rhythm of country and western music, or tho melodic, deepl moving works of Ts- chaikowski, young peopl should bo taught to recognize nd appreciate the best in their preferences in th field of art and music. Comparatively few hi n h school students ore inclined to appreciate items of culture, such as Shakespearean clays, art exhibits, or concerts but they should at least be riven a ’’taste” of these, so that a liking may be develooed for them in later life. For in an ideal school, the aesthetic senses and one’s cultural knowledge would be awakened and trained, along with his academic work. In an ideal school, then, well-oualifled teachers would work with properly disciplined stud nts under a well-selected, useful programme of 3 tudy and extracurricular activity, toward the achievement of tho school’s purpose, namely that of formin good, s ' lid citizens. I mean people who know right from wrong, who are loy l to Goo and country, and who are well-informed and self-reliant. Such a school would produce in quantity future doctors, lawyers, authors, teachers, and e ' en future prime ministers, who would all be of the highest caliber. If everga day comes when every man can say-with certainty that his children are being taught in an ideal school, it will be a giant step in the progress of mankind.

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In t his essay, I shall discuss the ideal school under five aspects, the teaching staff, discipline, extracurricular activities, the cur¬ riculum or course of study, and the purpose, itself, of education. These are not listed in order of importance, because it is obviously impossible for one aspect of education to rival or do without another, and produce the correct result. A person who enters a school with the purpose of teaching young people, shaping their minds, and preparing t lem for life after school must, of course, be prepared for this t.isk. The teacher must himself be well-educated, interested in young, peoplo, have acceptable personal habits, and be of a sociable disposition. He must be a good example to his students, and must practise what he preaches. All In all, today ' s teachers are a fine, outstanding group of hard-working people. It is, and always will be, necessary to have teachers as good as we have now, ond even better, for in an ideal school the students and staff must be in constant co-operation and this ond can be achieved only through thorough training on the part of both. When several hundred students are gathered toother in one building, sitting in desks exactlv alike, learning the same subjects, having lunch on masse day in and day out, boredom, arisin r from this continual same¬ ness, is likely to result in srme sort of discipline problem. This problem is manifested mostly through talking and fidgeting in class, cutting classes, damage to school property, or downright insubordination In extrem- cases. Most schools nev r administer corporal punishment, nor do they.like the idea of wholesale expulsion. Eut, in an ideal school, discipline must be maintained and the continual inf rin ( eraer.t of rules cannot be tolerated. Most often, punishment meted out is in the form of detentions, heavy assignments, or suspension for a short time. In an ideal school, discipline would nut be a problem; at least, not a serious one. Rather, discipline would be maintained and enforced by the student body as well as the staff. Extracurricular activities are designed to encourage students ' free ■lssoclation with one another, in regulated, boneficial organizations. These activities each serve a purpose: sports, to develop the physique and teach pood sportsmanship; rl q. clubs and bands, to develop musical aptitudes and combat shyness; and cadet corps, to develop alertness and the tendency to obey one ' s superiors. Extra activities should not, under any circumstences, be allowed to interfere with studies. In an Ideal school, a student ' s freedom of participation in these activities would be determined by his academic rtanding. This brings us around to by far the most important aspect of a school; by that I mean the curriculum, or course of study. If the school is- to be the arency whereby people strive to make realities of the r hopes and ideals through the development of their offspring, then tht. curriculum of the ideal school must be such that it will do just that, or come as nearly as possible to it. It has been long realized that the continuous study of language, mathematics, and science, contributes greatly to onb ' s reasoning powers and development of mind. Above all, the intense study of the English language is indispensable in preserv ' ng the beauty and proper use of this, one of the most eloquent, beautiful, ond widely used languages on Earth. One should also study history; many lessons and morals can be learned from it, and it develops the memory. It should be grasped im¬ mediately that a dead language is not taught so that one may speak it

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HE SHALL HAVE DOMINION PROM SEA TO SEA He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of .the earth. Prom the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean stretches the fairest land that has ever appeared before man’s eyes. That land that stands above every other is Canada, the home of the fearless. Guarded by the Rocky Mountains on the west, the Laurentians and lleghanies on the east, fro¬ zen territories on the north, and a tranquil border on the south, this great country stands, firmly grounded in Christianity and democracy. Peace is her purpose and courage is her motto. Newfoundland, Canada’s orient, is a fisherman ' s paradise. The deeD waters surrounding her beckon to the deeo sea fisherman and the nets on the shore challenge the fish that flow in with the tide to escape them. Prince Edward Island holds all the beauty and peacefulness of a typical country life. This million acre farm was the scene of L. Mont¬ gomery ' s much loved Anne of Green Gables . It is also widely noted throughout Canada as the potato bin of the country. From this, our smallest province, comes one of Canada ' s main food supplies. Nova Scotia is the eastern port of Canada. The navy and the air¬ force make their heudquarters there. Halifax is a haven ' for ships from across the seas. She proved her importance in two world wars. New Brunswick forests call to the lumberjack, luring him into her depths where he will cut the precious wood which means fuel, clothing, and paper to the rest of the chain of which she is a link. Quebec is Canada ' s France. Here lie the customs of generations of humble, hardworking peonle. Here also, is Canada ' s largest city, Montreal, and her oldest city, Quebec. Pounded in the seventeenth cen¬ tury, she has stood firmly for three hundred years, and her narrow streets still echo the sound of Champlain ' s booted feet. Ontario, Canada ' s most versatile province, holds a wealth of beauty. Far to the north she stretches, holding in her arms the beaver, the earliest product of our country. Streams flow into rivers and the trees grow tall, straight, and staunch. These primitive regions are yet un¬ settled and still lie sleeping, waiting for someone to pioneer and open the s tores which remain sealed in her bosom. Niagara Palls, the honey- mooner ' s heaven, attracts tourists from all countries and her fame mat¬ ches that of the Victoria Fells of Africa. Both are known throughout the countries of the world. The Niagara Peninsula is a cherry blossom ecstasy. Essex County is the sun parlour of Canada and is humorously referred to as Canada ' s banana belt. Ontario holds great mineral wealth. Copper and nickel mines are situated in her north-west parts. Manitoba is the most easterly prairie province. It is centered in the Winnipeg O asis; farms radiate from it like spokes about the hub of a wheel. Churchill is her northern city and Winnipeg is the province ' s capital.