St Ignatius College - Ignatian Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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PARENT OR STATE? 17 involved to determine just what is the status of the parent in regard to his offspring, and what the rights and duties of the State. Upon analysis, it is evident that the theory upon which the bill was based was that of evolution, con- sidered of course from a sociological standpoint. If morality is regarded merely as convention, if Religion is an invention of primitive superstitious tribes, if the State must take pos- session of children and educate them only for its own ad- vantage-then the bill is entirely logical. But, considered in the light of true principles, and by itself, without the false dignity and trappings with which modern political systems have endowed it, what is the State? And what is the origin of this seemingly omnipotent body which already regulates what we shall drink and the size of our incomes, and now assumes to itself the prerogative of educating all children in its publis schools? The State is a society consisting of many families united under a common ruler for the safeguarding of the life and welfare of the community. The State consists immediately of families and remotely of individuals. This is plain from the position of the family in the order of nature, for the family stands midway between the individual and the State. The family, therefore, being antecedent to the State, has certain rights and duties which are inalienable, even by the State. Among these are the rearing and training of children, in which education is the most important part. And since the rearing of the child is primarily a duty of the par- ents, so the education of the child is essentially their right. As the State exists primarily for the welfare of the indi- vidual and the family, and not the individual and the family for the State, such assumptions by the State of powers which belong solely to domestic society are entirely unwarranted. On the other hand, it must not be thought that the State has no interest whatever in the training of its future citizens. No one denies the rights of the State to see that all children

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A. B. Devine. G. E. ter. E, I. O'Ga1'a. G. J

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18 THE IGNATIAN receive an education that will tit them for useful and honor- able careers. In all schools, whether established by the Church, the State, or a group of families, the State should see that the laws of public health and order are observed, and if in any school doctrines are taught which are against the public peace, or otherwise opposed to the interests of the community, the State may intervene. Moreover, if the par- ents neglect their duty, or delegate to the State the power of educating their children, it may establish such schools as are necessary. It is also plain that the State may, and should have cer- tain standards of education to which all must conform. This is justified by considerations of public good. But if these requirements are satisfied by any parent or group of parents who desire a system of education in which, besides the neces- sary branches of secular knowledge, sound morals and reli- gion are inculcated, the State has no right to interfere. What is objected to is a State monopoly of education, on the principle that the child belongs to the State, and that the State's interest in children is superior to the natural interest which the parents have in their offspring. It is thus apparent that the theory of absolute State control of education is groundless, and to see that in practice it is productive of the most disastrous results, We have but to look about us. Godless education in France, where Vol- taire boasted that he would blot out the Star of Bethlehem and drive the name of God from the schools, the pursuit of sceptical and materialistic science in Germany, and similar conditions all over the globe have brought the world to the condition in which it is, where brother seeks to kill brother for monetary gain, and where nations fly at each others' throats for rich oil districts or coal mines. ' Even in our own country it is the same. Americans were once a religious people. Now, after seventy years of education without God in the public schools, almost two-thirds of the American peo-