Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-03-29
Reading Matter on Every Page.
School Punishments and school Dis
cfplfne.

A correspondent for whom we have much
respect as an intelligent and active friend of the
Public Schools writes to US, in view of some
recent structures BY The STAR upon some of the
modes Of school punishment, suggesting that in
the multiplicity of restrictions prescribed in the
matter of punishment, the teachers are at a los
to know what mode of enforcing discipline they
may follow. Corporal punishment Is strenuously
objected TO, the expulsion or suspension of the
pupil Is held to be almost equally Objectionable.
and if they are not to be permitted to substitute
as punishments some physical restraints. such as
keeping pupils in at recess, they say they have
no means of maintaining proper control. We
concede the difficulties of the teachers position
and especially in this city where the allotment
or pupils to each teacher is untlu,v Iaroa
sixty pupils are assigned to each teacher, lin
Some of the schools there are between seventy
and eighty,) and we hold that no teacher can do
justice to more than half that number. Again
there is the drawback of deficient grading, or no
grading at all, whereby there Is a nultiplicitv
of classes; also the tedious labor involved in
modern analytical teaching, and this Formidable
catalogue Is further extended every few months
by some additional study. Music, drawing
and German, are now embraced in the curricn
ium, and it is proposed to add the French
language There are separate teachers for
music and German, to be sure, but where there
Is but the single recitation room for the school,
as is the case ia most of our schools the recta-
ton of the classes in these studies naturally in
terrupts all the other studies, and proportion
ately shortens the amount Of time to be given to
the ordinary studies pursued
With so many scholars and so MANY stpdias
the amount of time and attention that the
teacher can give to each pupil is minimized 10
pretty small figure. And here is Just where
The strain comes, in the matter of punishments
Our public school system is founded upon the
theory OF the greatest good to the greatest num-
ber- Justice to the majority requires that the
time of the teacher shall not be absorbed bv
dealing with intractable pupils-hard cases who
defy parental authority, and are sent to scbooI
As to a house of correction OF to sect them ont
of the way" We do not believe in eornoral
punishment (by the teacher, nor do we believe
IN punshing in any way calculated to cut OFF
sunlight, air and exercise from the pupil to the
injury OF his health; but if he proves intract-
able, We do believe in sending him promptIv
nome 10 the parent, TO be dealt with there
corporal punishment in school is objection
able, because it is usually done in anoar. H..
cause the overworked teacher should not he
made to DO public hOgging for whole neigh
bOThood; and because the display of passion
and brute force involved in a school eoo
ging has anything but an edifying effect
upon The pupils, and is quite sure to put both
,eseher and pupils out of gear for their respec-
i've duties and studies for the rest of the dar
nut let The perverse pupil, after due warning
Oe-pot expelled-but sent quietly home ana
Ms parents notified of his course. If thew have
aprooer appreciation of the benefits of our pub-
Tic schools they will apply a remedy and return
the child to school the next day, penitent and in
the mood to conform to the rules. What ia
needed mainly by the teachers is the co-onera-
uon OF the parents Let the parents show pro-
Per interest in the progress and conduct of their
children, and sympathy with the labors and
dlfheulties Of the teacher, and the task of the
latter will be greatly relieved. Most parents
wouldprefer having child sent home with a
note, rather than to have il logged in anger bv
a teacher harrassed with the care of sixty, sew
enty, or eighty pupils.
The amount of punishment can be reduced nv
reducing the number of pupils in each school to
the capacity of the room, and also to correspond
with the grading of the school. proper svs-
tt M OF monthly reports and a monthly di,tribu-
ton OF handsome tickets of merit wouId serv.
10 90 away with the necessity for punish ment
by melting the pupils TO good conduct through
some other motive than fear