St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-05-19
School Hours.

School Hours.
The proper number OF hours i'll which
children should be kept in school daily,
is one of the standing topics of social dis
cussion. We shall not be likely to set
tie it in hurry; nor is it question
that it is wise to be dogmatic about. 1t
''depends' a good deal. First, on the
scholars, their age, health, capacity.
Second, on what they do in school, and
how long they do it; whether the hours
in school are a constant grind of hard
study and exciting recitation, or whether
they are broken in upon by frequent in
terludes of recess and familiar exposition,
and what may he called teaching by cN-
ample and illustration, rather than hard
mcmorizing and abstract investigation.
And still again, third, on the character
of the teacher. Some teachers, like 9TH
er folks, are drcadfully tedious, and will
wear set of pupils out more in one
hour than others will in three.
Robust, healthy children, who have
ceased TO he infants, and had virtuous
grandmolhcrs, and feed and sleep well at
home, and play in the interudcs, are
not o.trwurl.ed by six huuIs day OF
mixed study and recitation and EXPOSE
ton. No very great or thorough pro-
are.S can Ia. made in education by the
average mon!a! capacity, N these days,
on a smaller allowance. The general
rule OF such an allowance is probably as
near right rs any general rule can be.
Bat there must be notifications and linz
itatlons to it in practice, rs to all sencr-
al systems Six hours is too much for
very young children, or for feeble and
nervous youths, and the frequent modern
habit Of condensins these SIX hours into
a single session Of five Is an abomination.
Reason and experience are both against
ii; and parents, teacher, and commit
tce@ should JON IN pronoancing IT. adolf
ton. 1t IS an invention of tEc devil, in
the form OF laZlncss and personal com,rn-
fence, and the general loi-hcI tendency
Of modern life. FIVE hours l. too long
Tor n continuous stretch al mcuial work
Tor either tn" AVERAGE child or the aver
age man ar woman. The daily work Of
the hrain, 20 be- most effective and least
exhaustive, should he divided, in the
casrs @! NM person. ont Of tee, int" two
portions.
Two ,!;ily sessions, one "i three, and
another Of tvs" and onr-hail hours, would
probably Prove the best compromise OF
thr contrndn. theories and cNistin"
practices ON lhis subject, and realize
more benefit I" the greatest number than
any other plan. Ii it were practicable,
(and We do not know why it i not. y the
primary schools should lave still shorter
sessions. .,N Of two hours each, nurnin.
;lIl afternoon. OF two hours AMI AN hour
anl u halt: though ii the kindergarten
system could he thoroughly introduced
into these schools, their hours might per-
htpS lc l.arn!r~-iy prolonged to the u~'l-
al standard.
These ale PERHAPS The average I, rc,u--
ION. OF tho.r who have gwen most
thought OF had most experience Oh the
subject Eat experiments are still max
iu@, in various schools and in various
places, wilh different -y~tems. The sin
"lr sessions OF five hours Is in vogue in
many OF the higher public schools, and
perhaps i'll most oi the private schools in
New England, Willie Louisville, Ken
turhy, which for some reason has got IN
to AN excited agitation of TIE question,
has just voted by It lar9r majority to
have but Il siu4lv session Il day, and that
of three hours only, Tor ali IL public
schools A. we have sail, the question
bcin" 4 contnuuu, one, and no commu-
nifty hcin" wholly agreed upon it, we
even thr most radical rNpcri-
mcnt-, and hope that the one at Louis
willie, especially, will he continued long
cnuu@h, and obs rsei carefully cnongh,
TO become an authority ON the SUBJECT
RJDii,.nL