Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-01-25
Correspondence.
For the Standard.
Three Hours School a Day."

As l am writing, l have before me al
article in a late paper, (Vt. Chronicle
Jan. 49, on the topic, what hinder
Progress" closing with flourish in favo
of Three hours school a day."
would beg leave, though at the risl
of the imputation of arrogance in differ
ing from wiser men, and even of 6ein,
opposed to progress, to advance a few
ideas against the proposed system; ant
in doing so, 1 will refer briefly to few
things which have been advanced as ar.
guments in favor of it.
The main drift of what has been sale
in favor of this plan, 50 far as I have oh.
served, amounts to about this. Too much
time, 1t is contended, is now spent in in
tellectual training, at least directly
More time and attention should be devo-
ted to physical training than can be, with
six hours school day. Scholars would,
on the whole, really make better progress
with less time spent in the school room.
Now | cannot but regard these PROPOSE
tons as, at least, theoretical assumptions i:
and | much doubt whether the expert
ence of the majority of practical teach
ers would not be against them.
We are ready to admit that the South
ern practice of ten hours a day is a per-
nicious extreme. Too much time NAV,
undoubtedly, be spent in the school
room, but it does not follow, as matter
of course, the sac hours is too much
Boys and girls, as a general thing, are
more inclined to physical than to intel
lectual exercise, and l hardly think that
one well acquainted with common schools
generally, can be of the opinion that as
general thing, scholars do not have
enough of physical exercise. The ma
jority of scholars are children of farmers
and mechanics; and aside from the labor
which they may have to perform at home,
have to 60 from half mile to a mile and
a half to school. Are such children in
danger of being injured by spending six
hours day, with the usual recesses and
mtermission, in properly constructed
school-room? Are six hours any more
than such children ought to spend, and
a0eA spend under school-room discipline?
One veteran in the cause writing in
favor of three hours says: "Scholars
need the rest of the time for Mi,akfg1o
about what they have learned" &c
While this is very good in theory, my
friends experience has greatly
differed from mine, and 1 think, from
that Of teachers generally, if he supposes
that with boys and girls, that idea can be
realised. Boys and girls gen.
orally do not, and, under any arrange
ment, will not think much about their
studies except while actually engaged in
them; and if we expect them to learn,
we must, for the time, make It their bust
ness to learn. [ would not have it 9th
erwise. "One thing at a time" When
scholars study, that should be their whole
employment; and when they work or
play, work or play should have their un-
divided attention. I have no sympathy
with the absent minded, halfway work,
always seen when one undertakes to do
two or three things at time. As to the
assumption that more real advancement
would be made with only three hours
than is now made in six; it is only neces-
sary to say that until it can be clearly
shown that six hours time is too mucb
the assertion under consideration could
be OF no weight. In the article referred
10 al the commencement of this commu-
nlcatlon, the writer instances Z" the vast
influence of very small amount of sab
bath school instruction as an upanswera-
BILE argument" Who, with a little re-
lection and comparison of the two things.
does not see that this unanswerable ar
5ument is no argument at all? The
is essentially a fallacy; and were
It otherwise, the cases are not, in any tan
5iole respect, parallel. venture the as
'ertion that, Independently of the family
and the church, sabbath schools do not
exert "vast influence and. I reneat
here is no force whatever in the COM
parison.
L intended, when 1 commenced this ar
ncle, to refer to few fundamental OBJ
jections to the "Three hours" plan" but
see that have already taken sufficient
space for one week. With your leave I
shall resume the subject in some future
number. ATp.c,ru