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 EDUCATIONAL

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EDUCATIONAL

Education (Chicago. 1902); Dupanloup, De V education (Paris, 1850); Idkm, De la haute education intellectuelie (Paris, 1855-57); Gaume, Du Catholicisme dans Veducation (Paris. 1835); ^Idem. Lettres sur le paganisme dans Veducation (Paris. 1852); Kleut- GEN. Ueber die alten und die neuen Schulen (Miinster, 1869).

NoN-(^ATHOLlc Writers: K. A. Schmid. Gesck. d. Erziehung (Stuttgart. 1884-96); K. Schmidt. Gesch. d. Padagogik (Kothen, 1891); Monroe. Source Book of the Hist, of Ed. (New York. 1891); Laurie. Historical Survey of Pre-Christian Ed. (New York. 1900); Harris, ed.. International Educational Series (New York, 1887 — ); Rosenkhanz. tr. Brackett. The Philo- tophy of Education (New Y'ork. 1905); Butler. The Meaning of Education (New York. 1905); Spencer. Education (New York. 1895); Bain. Education as a Science (New York, 1883); HoRNE. The Philosophy of Education (New York. 1904).

E. A. Pace.

Educational Association, The Catholic, a vol- untary organization composed of Catholic educators and other persons who have an interest in the welfare of Catholic education in the United States of America. It includes several associations established to secure closer union and more active co-operation in special lines of work. The movement for unification began with an effort to establish a conference of seminary presidents and professors. A meeting called by the Right Rev. T. J. Conaty, Rector of the Catholic Uni- versity of America, was held at St. Joseph's Seminary, New York, in May, 1898. A second meeting was held in Philadelphia, September, 1899, but nothing further was done until April, 1904, when, at the instance of the Right Rev. D. J. O'Connell, representatives of sev- eral seminaries met and decided to revive the confer- ence, and to hold a meeting at St. Louis in July, 1904.

The first meeting of the Association of Catholic Col- leges and Universities of the United States was called by the Right Rev. T. J. Conaty, and was held in Chicago in April, 1899. Annual meetings have been held since that time. The Parish School Conference was organized in Chicago in July, 1902, and it w-as then decided to meet at Philadelphia with the Associ- ation of Catholic Colleges and Universities in 1903. At the Philadelphia meeting the Parish School Con- ference passed a re.solution empowering a committee on organization to confer with the standing committee of the Association of Catholic Colleges and to draw up a plan of union. The.se three conferences met in St. Louis 12-14 July, 1904; and a committee including repre- sentatives of each proposed a constitution to be tried for one year. The report of the committee was unan- imously adopted at a joint meeting of all three and the Catholic Educational Association was formed 14 July, 1904, the Right Rev. D. J. O'Conneil being unan- imously elected President General of the Association.

This As.sociation held its second meeting in New York and a leading feature of the meeting was the re- markable public demonstration in Carnegie Hall at the close. The third meeting was held in Cleveland, and the fourth at Milwaukee; both were notable for the increasing attendance and for the cordial approba- tion of the movement given by members of the hie- rarchy. At the meeting in Milwaukee, July, 1907, the constitution, which had been amended each year, was finally adopted, and the executive board was author- ized to take steps to incorporate the as.sociation. The fifth annual meeting was held at Cincinnati in July, 1908. There was a registration of 769 names at this convention; all sections of the country were repre- sented, and a number of religious communities sent official delegates.

An idea of the general scope of these gatherings may be had from the subjects treated in the papers and the addresses at this meeting. Among the former were contributions on "The Present Condition of Latin Stufiies in the Catholic Institutions of the United States"; "TheMethodofTeaching Religion"; " Neces- sity and Means of Promoting Vocations to Teaching Orders"; "School Library and the Child's Reading", and on the study of social questions and problems in the seminary, the present state of education and the cur- riculum. At the public meeting the topics were " Re- V.— 20

ligious Instruction, the Basis of Morality", "The Catholic School and Social Morality", and "The Ne- cessity of an Enlightened Conscience for the Proper Performance of Civic Duties".

The convention was the largest and most representa- tive gathering of Catholic eilucators that had up to that date been held in the country. The usefulness of these meetings is now generally recognized. They give an understanding of the strength and weakness of the Catholic educational position that can be obtained in no other way. A great deal of earnest and serious work is done at them ; they foster a spirit of unity and co-operation in all departments of educational work; and they inspire the educators with a greater love and devotion to their calling. The whole system of Catho- lic educational activity has been strengthened, unified and developed by the annual conventions of the asso- ciation, and more especially was this the result of the meeting in Cincinnati.

As the understanding of the Catholic educational situation, with its diflficulties and possibilities, becomes clearer, the work of the association becomes every year more definite and more practical. The slow and grad- ual growth of the association has given it a form of or- ganization well suited to the development nf the work. Catholic educators have a good understanding of the problems they must solve, among which are the prol)- lem of secondary education, and the problem of curric- ulum. Of more importance, even, than the thorough- ness of educational work is the defence of the general interests of Catholic education, and the vindica- tion of the principles on which it is based. The secular system of education is based largely on the theory that man is born for the State and that he de- rives his rights from the State. The socialist would have the State absorb all authority in the domain of learning and of industry, and there are many secular educators who would fain see the monopoly of education lodged in the power of the State. The Catholic system is based on the right of the parent, the right of the child, and a reasonable individualism. The resolutions of the Cincinnati convention insisted on the right of the parent in the matter of education, and the association exists for the purpose of maintaining the right of the parent and the principle of liljerty of education. The Catholic Educational Association is an expression of the unity of principle that unites all Catholic educators.

"The officers of the association are a president gen- eral, several vice-presidents general, a secretary gen- eral, treasurer general, and an executive board. The association includes the college, school, and seminary departments. The affairs of the association are man- aged by the executive board. Each department is represented in this board by its president and two other members elected by the department. Each de- partment regulates its own affairs, and each may or- ganize sections for the more special work in which its members are interested. In the Parish Scliool De- partment, there is a Superintendents' Section and a Deaf Mute Section. A local meeting for the teachers is organized at every convention through the Parish School Department.

In the constitution the aims of the association are stated as follows: "The object of this association shall be to keep in the minds of the people the necessity of religious instruction and training as the basis of moral- ity and sound education; and to promote the prin- ciples and safeguard the interests of Catholic educa- tion in all its departments; to advance the general interests of Catholic education, to encourage the spirit of co-operation and mutual helpfulness among Cath- olic educators, to promote by sturly, conference, and discussion the thoroughness of Catholic educational work in the United States; to help the cau.so of Cath- olic education by the publication and circulation of such matter as shall further these ends."

According to the report of the secretary general