Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-03-31

sOvERTAsKED' is the title of suggestive
picture in the window of an avenue book
store. 1t represents a sad, tear-stained little
face, telling eloquently of sums that won't add
up. and verbs that won't coHjugate; while a
pile Of unopened books at the youthful elbow
suggest a discouraging burden OF other lessons
Vet unlearned.
The subject of everlasting school chIldren
- one now attracting considerable atten 10 l.,
and action is being taken in some of the nc IT l.
EN- States to shorten school hours, and esp
cially to prohibit any tasking of the youthful
mind beyond the regular school hours-any
enCrOachment upon the time that should be
given TO exercise and recreation. The New
York Sun has recently been scoring the school
authorities of that city upon the matter of over
tasking, and we are not sure but that some of
the structures of that paper might apply here
In New y OTk six hours is the usual length of
the public school sessions, with two recesses of
tOrty-fve minutes. In Washington the school
hours, from October TO April 1, are from a.
m. to p. m, with fifteen minutes recess in the
forenoon, and one hours intermission al noon,
making about five school hours. From April
1st TO October 1st the school hours are from Z
p. m. to- p. m. with the same Imtermission
and recess, making about 5k school hours
nus, in the matter Of hours, there Is a slight
Sdyaniage in favor of the Washington school
Children: but in regard 10 everlasting IN a
way to require study out of school hours, the
system here is quite perDiciOus as that COM
planned OF in New York. The children, with
the exception perhaps of some i'm the primary
cepaT msnt, are allotted tasks that require
ihem To study on the average two hours a day
At lone, and a large number are kept three
four, and even six hours. preparing their les
cons for the next day. This is manifestly
wrong, and opposed to the best authorities on
the subject. In Huxley and Youman's new
textbook on Physiology, 1t is stated that
Oyer-study Is one of the largest causes OF men,
tai disorders, that a child should not study as
much a. an adult: that probably six hours a
DAY OF close brain-work is the maximum that
IN adult i'll endure without detriment' :, One
OF our best authorities on eve diseases also
states. that three hours per day is ample exer
else Tor a chIld's sight. and that IN consequence
o; a greater amount being required in our
schools, near-si ghtedness is increasing fast
aud may soon be common a. in GERMANY
DIR. Frazer, who has Just issued a report on
our schools, refers TO this subject and saws that
the best informed persons in England have
asreed that five hours per day is long enough
for child TO be occupied in study.
But m Nashln gtOn the system of oyertasking
Is aggravated BY the senseless, health destroy
ing pHnishmenss, IN the shape of tasks, pre-
scTibed in some of the schools. We do not
mean the Grammar Schools, which are pre
iided over by teachers OF judgment and expe-
riencf, but some OF the middle and lower grade
schools, " here the teachers seem TO devote
their time mainly TO devising fantastic and
senselrss forms OF punishment. Among these
reprehensible modes Of punishmentis the inffic-
HOn upon the pupil OF the task OF re-writing a
single word or sentence many hundreds OF
tunes. We have known this brutal task TO reach
o. high as five thousand repetitiOns of a single
s'ntence TO be rewritten ont Of school hours.
Such tasks in the shape of punish ment are
calculated TO make an idiot of the pupil. We
have known a half blind boy in an interme
diate school TO be assigned task Of this de-
s,nption- and when, from his eyes failing him.
the latter pOruOr was imperlectIy written. the
task was doubled upon him by his injudicious
teacher. His parents, though lilly able to af-
ford the expense, Were obliged TO take him
from the, school and send him TO a private
school. We think careful supervision should
a" gwen by the Trustees to the tasks and pun
J. hinentS assigned b. the teachers, for some of
the latter sadly lack the discretion and judg
ment 10 enable them to devise iudIcious modes
OF correction FOR the young entrusted to their
care