, 1860-07-14
School Hours aud Exercise.

IL
Mr.. Edwin Chadwick, whose name is idepti-
fed with SO many important social reforms, hns
flate been prosecuting an educational inquiry
Of great interest. He has, as our readers may
remember, been appointed by the British gov
ernment commissioner to inquire into the ex.
cessire labor Of young persons in cotton facto-
ries. The results he obtained led him to pro-
pose measures, which we're in part executed,
for reducing the working time Of children under
thirteen years Of ageto SIX hours day, and for
ensufinE their attendance at school the residue
Of the time, say three hours. The children un-
der this provision are called "ha1f timers;
and it turns out, according to Mr. Chadwick's
investigations, that in well-conductsd schools
their attalnments are quite equal to those of
the " full tiuers," who attend school six hours
daily, while in aptitude for the application Of
their knowledge they are said to be superior.
As they gam II bodily condition By the reduc.
tion Of their ply sical labor, so they do in men
til condition by the reduction Of the time deyo-
ted to mental labor.
Mr. Chadwick made also close examination
Of the best Of The ioug time schools for young
children. and found, upon the testimony Of the
most intelligent teachers, that they could not
keep up voluntary attention to study beyond
two hours in the morning and one hour in the
afternoon. Dy force, even, they cannot get
more than additional half:hour Of ofzealattention.
and that half hou- proves in the end a mental
mischiefas well as bodily injury. FROM these
facts it would seeal to follow, a. be contends,
that our school systems are violation, in this
respect, Of the laws Of physiology.
Boys are enabled to repair the injury Of un-
due mental work, to certain extent, By their
athletic games. Not 50 with girls- Ia board
ing schools they are fastened TO their sedenta-
n occupations often eight hours day, with
but slig ght intervening relaxation or exercise.
Mr. Chadwick finds that the daughters Of moth
ers who have worked, but whose fathers have
got on in the world and hare sent these daugh-
ters to day or boarding schools, and kept them
from work, arc Shorter aud generally of inferior
strength to the working mothers: that the pro-
portion Of mothers Of tho well.to.do classes
who can suckle their own children il diminish
ing; that among women who have one servant
there are ailments which are unknown amongst
women who have no servants; and that these
ailments are worse with women who have two
servants, aud get very bad, indeed, and with
new complications Of hypochondria, amongst
women who have three servants.
The remedies recommended by this gentle
man are The reduction Of the ordinary school
hours by one-balf, and the devotion Of them
either to mania! labor or gymnastics. But no
form Of exercise, he thinks, is equal to the ua-
val and military drill. This he considers both
in reference to the future personul welfare Of
the pupil and to the interests Of the coulmuni-
ty. Looking to the welfare Of the pupil, be
contends that the drill is good for the corrcc-
ton Of congenital bodily defects; that it gives
an early initiation to all that is implied in the
term diacipliue, namely: duty, selfrestraint,
order, punctuality, obedience to command and
patience; that it renders action prompt and
easy, and adds to the efficiency aud productive
value of pupils in atter-llfe. Looking to the
welfare OF the nation, he maintains that the
military and naval drill il more effectively and
permanently taught in the juvenile than in the
ado1escent OF adult stages of life, and that if
made generally prevalent, il would accomplish
eventually. in a wider and better manner, the
object sought to be obtained By volunteer mill.
tary companies, which, by the interruption Of
productive occupations. are highly expensive,
and that the juvenile drill! would prouuce IN
immensely stronger and cheaper defensive force
thsn is now produced By any means in use in
&ny nation.
These views are attracting much attention in
England, and are worthy Of consideration in
this country. There are in the public schools Of
New York alone more than ha1f a million Of pu
pills IN those of all the States more than three
millions. II we should add to these the young
persons undergoing instructions in private
schools and colleges, this number would per-
hsps be doubled. AL these are interested in
whatever relates 10 the discipline Of schools.
Society at large is no less interested in it, be-
cause these children will soon become its lead.
ing memb. RS, and give tone to its politics, its
manners, its literature, and in short, its whole