school curriculum. By making use of all these instruments for moral training, the wise teacher may exercise an influence, all the more profound because the child is unconscious of it. on the formation of his pupil's character.
On the other hand, moral instruction gives definite information and exhortation on definite points, and looks for definite results. It believes in the importance of knowledge, and holds that the best way to direct the child's conduct is to tell him what is right and what is wrong, and why it is right and why it is wrong. Moral instruction may be given in different ways and on different occasions, but it is always definitely instruction. It may be given as a formal lesson at a regular hour, or as an informal talk as occasion arises, or in an incidental word or two in connection with some historical character or fact, or it may be veiled in parabolic form in story or poem. But in all cases alike the aim is to educate the child's character by giving him right ideas about conduct.
Now, many theorists set up these two views in sharp opposition to one another, some insisting on the value of moral training, others maintaining that moral instruction is of greater importance. But it is quite unnecessary, and may be highly mischievous, to state the issue as "moral training versus moral instruction." In practice, we are not confined to one of the two alternatives. We need not make an irrevocable decision to stake all either on moral training or on moral instruction. Both are necessary to moral education, and the methods advocated by both may therefore be employed.
