Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1860-11-01
From the Educator.
School Grounds.

As the time of opening schools is once more
returning, We hear much spoken of making
them attractive Bot, however, much NAV be
said, there has still not been enough said We
have many school-hOuSes still, which are not
more attractive to scholars, than Cherry Hill
prison is to its inmates, and into which thev
must consequently be driven by force Much
Of course depends on the teacher i'm this re-
Spect, but still more on the directors Ii is
their duty to furnish the schooI-roon with tie
necessary apparatus, which will ue7er fail to
make 1t a! least in measure, an attractive
place to study But me thinks | hear Johnny
and Tommy and Jenny and a host of other say
we don't only come to study, we want tC play,
and have place to play tco. Here we have
the secret then, the scholars do not wish to 90
to school, because they have no place to play.
There can be nc necessity for me to say any
thing Of the justice Of this claim, nor of the
benefit arising therefrom. Bat the great thing
seems TO be a place, sufficiently near the
school, where the scholars have the opportu-
nifty CT enjoying their hours of sport. In
travelling over the greater part of Penusylya.
MIA, We fud nearly all our school houses silUat-
ed at such places as to be entirely unfit for
such purpose. For instance near creek or
some other body of water. which softens the
ground to such a degree as to render il entire
ly unfit for cultivation or habtation or pro-
badly on tract of land so rocky that the
squirrels have difficulty in crossing it : or
very likely two roads meet somewhere. cutting
of piece of ground nearly the whole Of forty
feet square or a steep bill somewhere upon
which you will surely find a school hoGse.-
Whg is all this this simply because school
directors are afraid a fine situation costs too
mDCh, and their school tax might be raised
few cents thereby. They will cause rivers of
tears to flow from the eyes of their own chill
ren, as well as from those of all the iahab-
tants of the district, merely for the sake of
saving few dollars as they think but in which
they are greatly mistaken Every penny ex-
pended for proper school grounds is a dollar
from the Doctors bill and will bear hundred
per cent. interest to all who investit Scholars
are able to study twice as much if they can
exercise properly during the hours of play than
if they are deprived of this necessary requisite
to the student o, do not deprive orr scholars
Of something which they need as much as the
food which spStains their lives Let school
directors, if they want to save money, have
healthy aud intelligent scholars, advance their
schools, and confer blessing on their posteri-
ty select the most pleasant spot which they
can find wherecn to erect the Peoples
College" Then after the house is built, plant
trees, lay out aowet beds, and bea1tif1 it in
every possible manuer, and scholars will soon
love their place Of Instruction, their :sste will
be healthy, vigorous, intelligent and happy, and
directors will have done their duty and not ere
this done, will the object Of Common schools
have been accomplished z. (. 3.