Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-06-17

b. W. DWIGHT, principal Of a high school IN Wes-
tern New York, has written book upon The
HIGHER Chtistian Education" He is an enthusiast in
tie profession Of teaching and his book contains
manv noble sentiments and much earnest thought
upon the subject. he regards physical health as
duty. and informs us that the education of Greek
youth consisted Of but three parts: grammar, mu-
sic. and gymnastics; the latter Of which occupied,
ND to his sixteenth year, much time as the other
two combined and from that age till eighteen ex-
Gliding them altogether
The following extract from the report of the Dor
chester. Massachusetts, School Committee, deserves
the special attention Of parents, and shows that
there is peril outside as well as inside the schools
Muehis said at the present time, of the overtasl-
inc Of uups in the public schools. The subject is
an important one and deserves the careful attention,
not only Of teachers and school committees, but of
the community in general That many Of our boys
and girls are puny in stature, pale and sickly
ous and excitabe; that they do not promise, either
in themselves or in their posterity strong and en-
during manhood and womanhood, IS not TO be de-
MED; but that the OUedSeng o. them N ne schools is
the cause of so much of the evil as It IS sometimes
represented to be- is to say the least very doubtful
The schools are only part OF inc organization OF
society and they can be responsible only TOT part
of whatever good or evil exists NO doubt teachers
lrto see the Intellectual developments OF the children
,+stad tn their care To foster this development
Is one Of their most important duties. they CID
not do this they would not hold their ONCE Tor
dav Taking the scholars as whole, very Jew OF
them indeed injured, solely or even nanny Dy
tine hard study required Of them by their teachers.
Their teaehers are generally more willing to wait
! for that normal Development of the mind which
comes from years, than the parents are. IL Is the
narents rather than their teachers, who are IN
haste. Teachers may not be entrely gullless DuI
If they drive, they are also driven
| Children especially girls have not enough outof-
doors exercise. The habits Of society are IN iault
The modes of dress are in fault. Children should
have free play Of body and limbs, so as to be able
to run. Jump drive hoop, see-saw, &c. &c, without
restraint but this the fashionable modes OF dress
mill not easily allow The fabrics too nice to
I allow of violent or prolonged exercise few OF
the rich may dress their daughters IN SIX ana mus
: Inns and when they torn or sOlled by outdoor
| NAV. they may replace them by new ones but by
the greater part Of the people, this cannot be done
and instead of dressing their children in prints and
yOoens that will bear hard usages they dress tnem
in rich fabrics and then teach them to be Careful OF
their dress to the injury of their health The silk
dress must not be sOiled or torn, will not allow the
little girl to take free outofdOOr exercise at the
school recess, or in her mothers garden at nome
" She must be restrained, not only IN school hours
but out Of school hours Not unfrequently Is the
teacher requested by the mother to let her little
daughter stay in the school room during the recess
because she is frail and delicate. Why IS she iran
Z and delicate? Whatever may be the cause, the re
/ Isl y
the outofdoor play Of the recess Is just what the
q little girl needs. -
# Again, school duties and fashionable dissipation
cannot 20 hand in hand together with IMMUNITY. Inc
one or the other ought to be renquished. 1t IS un
/ fair to attribute to hard study required oy the
school, the lassitude which arises from late hours
t not of the required hard study, but OF exciting
:, amusements. The school girl doing faithful duties
of the school, must be gifted indeed to be able e
enact ct the time the part of fashionable adS
Of fashionable society. When she assumes the laItel
character her relieve the school ofits responsible
n ity. =
v The preceding remarks, however, are not IN
q tended to make teachers less careful OF their pups
health than they hitherto have been, but more care
h full of it. By assigning the evil its true cause al
/ will be able to work more intelligently and EN-
# GENTLY for its removal than by assigning It to fais
4 one The spirit of the time must be recognized. N
one person. or class of persons must be held soelI
a responsible but each and all partially So As
# general remark not less study in the school IS neeu
- ed but less excitement of delecterlous knd gu
N of school The teachers directions to hls pupil
has been for ages-Study hard, and play hard Saai
~ in its proper time and place play IN It's proper n'
10 and place The teacher who shall Judiciously en-
fore this direction will do much toward INTRODUCING
10 a proper system of Physical Training into on
common School"
1,.1ln .