The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-05-05

Mr.. EDITOR: In your paper Of April 9th
there is the following item: :" A meeting of
the experimenting School Committee was
held at their room on Monday evening, 18th
inst 1t was voted that the High and Willis
schools should hold their sessions from IL
O'Clock to o'clock from May LIST to June
lst, and from O'Clock TO ! o'clock from
June LIST to the end of the term"
We wish to call the attention of those par
ents who have. children attending either OF
these schools, to the above vote; aud at the
the same time to protest with all the earnest
ness in our power, against its being carried
into operation.
It would seem hardly possible that there
could be any great diversity of opinion among
intelligent men at the present day, in regard
to the time that may be profltably spent in
school, A very remarkable pamphlet has re-
Gently made its appearance in England, con-
tanning statements of facts that ought to com
mand the attention of the civilized world
The pamphlet is written by L. Chadwick,
ESQ, c. b., and published by vote of the
House of Lords. The subject of the pam
phlet is Education, and is devoted to the dis
cussion of three matters; the organization of
schools, the hours of study, and physical
training.
Mr.. Chadwick's statements of facts in con-
nection with the second OF these three sub
jects are of special Importance. Struck by
the frightful disproportion between the power
Of attention in children, and the length Of
school hours, he has directed questions to
many distinguished teachers. Mr.. Donaldson,
head master of the Training College of Glas-
gov, states that the limits of voluntary and
intelligent attention are, with children from
Eve to eight years of age about fifteen min
utes; from seven to ten years Of age, about
twenty minutes from ten TO twelve years of
age, about flfty-fve minutes; from twelve TO
sixteen or eighteen years Of age, about eighty
minutes; and continues, have repeatedly
" obtained bright, voluntary attention from
"each of these classes for five or ten or fifteen
minutes more, but observed it was at the
Expense of the succeeding lesson"
The Rev. ]. c. Morrison, rector of the same
college, speaking on the same subject, says,
|" will undertake to teach one hundred chill
"dren in three hours day as much as they can
by possibility receire and hold it to be
an axiomin education, that no lesson has been
"given till it has been received; as soon,
therefore, as the receiving power of the chill
"dren is exhausted, anything given is useless,
may, injurious; inasmuch as you thereby
weaken instead of strengthen the receiving
"power. This ought to be a first principle
I" in education. think il is seldom acted
"on."
The truth Of all this, we believe it to be
impossible to disprove. And in view of it,
we ask the Committee to reconsider their
vote. The hours for these schools are at
present four, in one session; and in the
bracing weather Of our winter and autumn
months, this may not be too much. But at
season when the often intense heat Of our
summer months eneryates even the strongest
frames, and makes prolonged mental labor
burden, TO increase the hours Of study TO five,
with but nominal recess, we believe to be
an error, and that it will prove to be injurious
in its results.
And here let the analogy between body and
mind be kept in view. If more food be taken,
alter the amount sufficient to repair waste of
tissue and to provide for growth, has been
consumed, not only is there no additional
strength received from this extra quantity,
but the reparative power Of the whole is
diminished by vitiating the digestive process.
And SO with the mind; the time spent in
study after the receptive power is EXHAUSTED.
is not merely thrown away, but the minds d.
gestive power over the knowledge acquired
during the legitimate hours of study, is
diminished and impaired
There is another point TO which, as 2 physi-
clan, we ask the attention Of parents: The
confinement of the young-and especially of
young girls-for five consecutive hours dur
ing that period of life when not only is waste
Of tissue to be repaired each day, but growth
Is also TO be provided lor-to the same posi-
tion on the hard seats Of school-room, and
with all the rigid decorum OF our modern
schools, and this especially during the debil-
itating heats of the summer solstice,-is itself
positive evil, everywhere there no mental appli
cation the while, and one that will not fail of
its baleful results.
The School Committee, composed as it is of
excellent men, can have no other wish than
the greatest good Of those who are committed
10 their charge, and whose welfare is the only
reward of their arduous duties. That they
will pay proper regard to the wishes of those
parents who are most interested in this mat
ter, cannot be subject Of doubt. And we
again ask the attention of parents TO the con-
templated change. Not Of those who are
glad Of any restraint that keeps their chill
dren safe from home and harm as long as
may be- but OF earnest and faithful guardians,
who feel that in the parental stewardship Of
which they will be called upon to give ac-
count while the first place is given, and right
ly given, to the moral and intellectual culture
of their children in the next, and second on
ly to these, is an enlightened and iudieious
care for their health and physical well-being;
and that to the fullest development OF the
former, the latter need never be sacrificed.
G. ID.
Letter from the East Indies.
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