Tillsonburg District High School - Tatler Yearbook (Tillsonburg, Ontario Canada)

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EDUCATION IN THE MODERN WORLD by Donald Currie, XII Education is as varied as the people who make use of it. The word education is so widely used in present times that it may refer to the study of almost any subject. However, I should like to limit my essay to that division of education which is connected with the school of to- day. Great advances have been made in the past seventy-five years in the history of our schools and also in the improvement of educational systems. Today a graduate, unlike his forefathers, leaves school with a firm foundation of basic languages, mathematics and sciences. No longer do these topics approach the student hand in hand with cruel and hard punishments or unjust beatings, but they reach out to those students who will think for themselves, who will study and try to apply the things they learned in school to the problems out of school. l Perhaps in the life of the modern High School student there has taken place what has been proved or what will be proved to be the most important facts yet listed in our Canadian or World Histories. For example, many of us have had friends or relatives in World War II, and some of us have felt the tragedy of that war. We are of the age of the Atomic Bomb and feel the dread that hangs over the world in connection with it. Must we not, then, the students of to- day, become properly equipped through- out the period we spend at school to capably meet the problems which will be turned over to us when we take our places in our troubled world? Will it not, also, take- a trained and an educated group of men and women to keep ourworld, already full of revolts, race and religious perse- cution, and of the distrust and hatred of one country and her peoples against another, from verging into wholesale murder or even war? Perhaps if such countries as Russia, who are refusing co-operation towards international peace, had a new and im- proved educational system, the countries, such as United States or England, who are soliciting peace, would not face prob- lems which they face to-day. We do not, unfortunately, have the right to recom- mend Russia's should-do's or should-not- THE TATLER do's, but we are able to recommend what we believe in our own country. Therefore I believe Canada's own educational system should continually improve through the combined efforts of the students, teachers and directors until a result is achieved, so worthy of respect and envy, that those troublesome nations of today will copy it. Thus in a small measure we, the students of 1949, may repay our country for the wonderful opportunity which she has offered us to gain a beneficial education. l TO-DAY'S HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES by Gary Miller, XIA Much criticism has been directed at the educational system in modern high schools. Some of it, resulting from misinformation or poor reasoning, is valueless, but a great deal of it shows thought and common sense. Such thought-provoking ideas as Is De- tention the Answer ? , Do Schools Stress Extracurricular Activities Too Much or Too Little? , and Should Rules Govern Participation in Athletics for the Sake of the Student's Mental Progress? instantly lend themselves to lengthy discussions and verbal orations and missives, both pro- and anti-. The subject which particularly fasci- nated me, however, was the mentally- stimulating topic Are There Too Many Compulsory Subjects on the High School Curriculum ? A story is always an interesting method of debate, therefore, let us take as my strongest argument the very real biog- raphy of an imaginary student, Joe X. -Toe attended Kindergarten and Public School with the other children and soon reached High School. Our fictitious friend had early shown his brilliant mind by con- sistently leading his class, and had earned the highest marks in the entire grade on the Entrance examinations. He was a fine all-round youth: intelligent, sportsman- like, of friendly disposition, pleasing per- sonality, serious, yet with a quick wit and clever sense of humour. Naturally, he was popular with his fellow-pupils. Joe exhibited a natural aptitude for English, public speaking, history and French. Friends said proudly Joe was a 35

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since I was twenty I've saved my weekly ten-cent allowance, and over these eighteen years I have managed to save ninety-three dollars and fifty-nine cents, 'that ought to-. Hiram, what did you do with that other cent Y I'm sorry motherg in one of my rash moments I bought an all-day sucker, he continued. As I was saying 393.59 ought to be ample sufficiency. Have I your per- mission? Well, Hiram, consider that when that money is gone. you are pennilessg but if you have your heart set on it, go ahead, and I hope you make a wise choice !-You will have no second chance. Early next morning Hiram McSloy II set off for towng he went straight to the livery stable and blew his life's savings on the joy of his heart, a beautiful sorrel mare that he had been admiring for weeks. SOLILOQUY 0F A STUDENT fWinner of Second Prize for Light Versej How can I stay at school today When winds are soft and free? - I simply cannot concentrate On Ancient History. What do I care how Caesar died? 'Twas years and years ago,- And ways the Greeks and Romans lived Are things I'm s'pposed to know. My French I really cannot say, No matter how I try. With all the verbs I have to know It almost makes me cry. Physics, the worst of all the rest, May make good engineers, But listen while I whisper low,- It brings grey hairs, my dears. My English teacher shakes her head About my words and rhyme, She wonders how I am so dumb, So dumb most of the time. And from my Algebra, 'tis sad, My thoughts' will ever stray. What good 'twill ever be to me I really cannot say. The time for bed is almost here: My homework is not done. I really should be finished up, But I have just begun. H Agnes Thurston, XIB. 34 SONNET TO DAWN fWinner of Second Prize for Serious Verse! Awake! the curtain is about to rise Upon the royal entrance of staid dawn, A Golden Lady, waving o'er the skies Her magic wandg-the sombre screen ' withdrawn, She paints the gray horizon with a hue Unequalled by the painter's skilful brush, Soft scarlet, yellow, blended with light blue To serve as robe for last stars in a rush. The dewy dandelions shyly tip Their golden heads, in greeting graciously The irnorn. The rose-buds part their rosy U9 For the caress in all its ecstasy. O Magic Lady, in whose hand lies power To change the dark earth, welcome at this hour! . Helen Spanics, XIII. ON THE PLAINS OF ABRAHAM fWinner of Honourable Mentionj The thin red line was bravely led, And though they knew they'd soon be dead They held their ground against all men That 'gainst them came and came again. I A gan appeared in the thin red line,' Rut it was closed without a sign From men who knew their duty clear But also knew the cost was dear. The charging horsemen hoped in vain To split the line that held the plain: But though they rode and rode again They could not break that wall of men. The battle wavered hard and long, Then toward the blue-coat throng The thin red line began to crawl, This last great chance to give their all. Behind on a knoll, o'erlooking the field, 'Some red-coat oficers quietly kneeled Near a man who doubtless was The greatest champion for the cause. James Wolfe fell back, on sods to lie, And breathed one quiet, longing sigh, Let me see the British under none: Then I'll know my duty's done. The light of life was flickering low,- There was not too much time to go, But 'fore he heard the trumpet call He heard them say, We're over all. Douglas Palmer, XIB. T H E T A T I. E R

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born lawyerg with his mental gifts he couldn't fail. But in High School something happened -it wasn't serious at first: his standing dropped slightlyg his average dropped a little more than had been expected, per- haps because of Joe's poor showing in art and music, which had never interested him much. In Grade X, he started the study of Latin which, because his aptitudes failed to cover the subject, caused him his first failure. At Easter, Joe's marks were still on the decline. In desperation, he labored harder on his voco, vocare 's, only to find his other marks slipping. Joe passed into Grade XI that year fhaving to repeat Latin and another equally important subject howeverj. By the time he reached Grade XII, he was faced with two equally hopeless al- ternatives - first, taking a commercial course which would not enable him to enter University for the dreamed-of degree in law, and secondly, the inevitable leaving of school. Disheartened, Joe X chose the latter. Genius, say so-called wise men,. will not be denied, but will manifest itself under any conditions or circumstances. In Joe's case, we sincerely hope this is true. But, unfortunately, like so many of his kind, Joe will probably reach his unescapable pounding nails, sweeping fioors, digging ditches. Why are intelligent minds like Joe's, predestined for greatness, lost to the world? Joe failed to reach his far-distant, shining goal because he failed in Latin, a subject which is not even necessary for his law course, yet which, on the High School curriculum, today is a compulsory study . It's like losing a two-hundred- pound lineman who can tackle and block like a tank because he can't catch a pass or do broken-field running. One feeble argument is: Well, it's nice to know how to do, even if you never use it, and it might come in handy someday. Might it not also prove useful to be an accomplished orator or be nice to be able to run a ten-second hundred? If one has no ability in these fields though, it seems ridiculous to waste valuable time and effort trying to reach a reasonable degree of proficiency in them. It would be far better for one to spend ones time profit- 36 ably developing some phase of activity for which he has a capacity. The army stressed this by a series of tests, designed to determine the abilities, aptitudes, interests, special skills and gen- eral I.Q. of each new recruit. Every man was put in the job best suited to his qualifications. Finding the right work for each soldier was the important thing. Individualism was foremost. Isn't a place for every man and every man in his place a fundamental of democracy? Yet no individualism is shown in a school where those, like Joe X, working and studying to be lawyers, take basically the same course as those who will some day be their secretaries, servants, and chauffeurs. They tried to make Joe a Jack-of-all-trades and, as usual, he ended up a master of none. In re-reading this essay, I find I have reached a point of exaggeration to some degree. Perhaps this is forgivable, in that, of all the many modern problems, it directly affects you and me. In any case, I hope that I fand Joel have opened up a pathway which will enable you to form your own ideas and conclusions about one of to-day's most perplexing questions: Should some of the compulsory subjects on the high school curriculum be abolished? i f No! Noi M-as Grieve, l' h Ji so-mv-.19 for +s.4'1'a9I4f! ff! 1 ..6' rack' Q if if 0 it 4- f , Fl' mtmgaisilsgsf 1' Glory lmfkerduhyoa THE TATLER