Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-12-14
THE LIMITS OF SCHOOL AGE.

THE LIMITS OF SSHVOA h"I'
The Public School Board of the city OF
Milwaukee has passed a resolution rec
ommending that the State constitution be
90 amended as to leave it with the diff
ferent school boards to determine the
ages at which children shall be admitted
to the public schools.
The present law on this point haS long
been regarded by educators as detrlmen'
tai to our school interests. At 4 years
of age, children need nursing more than
educating, and in many districts where
large numbers are sent to school ut that
age, the schoorooms are more properly
nurseries than schools, and the capacity
Of n teacher as nurse il made more i'm
portant than her abilities IA a teacher
Internationally change of the consti'
tuition is demanded by the school inter-
osts Of the state, and the legislature will
be rems in its duty if something is not
done to secure it the coming winter We
cannot endorse tho proposition to leave
the matter Of limitation to the different
school boards, however. Let the matter
be deinately settled by constitutional
amendment fixing the aye Of 6 or years,
as the least at which any child may attend
q public school nothing more is nee
essary, and nothing else, we opine would
be found to work well,
The Evening Wisconsin treats this
snbect in accordance with our views, as
follows;
The age Of four is plainly too soon for
children to be admitted to- public schools
The long nGnement aud the quiet which
che school regulations enforce IS inJur-
ious to the health, and detrimental to the
physical Development o! children OF such
tender years Moreover, the amount
which can be learned by such young
children is OF no advantage whatever III
most cases it il positive disadvantage
A too early development OF tho mental
faculties by artificial means IS not usually
followed by strong and vigorous minds
in mature ycars Until n child is six or
eight years Of age he learns very hide
but mischief ut school, though sent regu
arly The most that IL learned IL any
case ia 70 read lnditlerently, and in niue
families IN ten SO much can DO learned
at home, with one sixth OF the contine
ment indoors Where the first lesson Of
education is not learned until the child
is six or eight years of age, the suhse.
Jnent advancement, il placed IN well
regulated school, will in most instances
be more rapid than where the business
Of education was earlier begun. We
always have held, therefore, that children
should not be admitted TO school before
che age OF six, and every child should
know the alphabet before admission,
though we would not make that con-
dition OF admission Schools should not
be made nurseries To which mothers e n
send their babes and have them taken
care OF during the day as pnbice Expense
We believe, therefore, that Il change
IN the constitution IN this respect Is
urgently demanded by tho best Interest,",
Of the schools aud tho children We
are doubtful, however, Of the propriety
OF leaving it t. the school boards 10 de.
termine tho aye, for while it would no
doubt he wisely determined in most
eases. there would be instances where 1t
would not be Circumstances might put
In power IA board that would set the are
n, even and earlier limit than ut present,
OF much Laser; ignorant men might, AMI
very probably would think that child
should lac sent To school 80 soon as it
could walk, while penarous men might
endeasor 10 escape the expense OF erect
insnew school houses whera the old'oneS
are two small, hy very mate clally contract
tng the limits of school age Again, the
public moneys are distributed 10 school
districts according 10 the number OF
children OF school are, aud Justice re-
quircs that this school ago should he
uniform all over the state. Sow If 1t
should be lels To the school boards toe law
would still have to determine the Limits
Of age and IN RaHy districts, therefore,
there should be two limitations that OF
Che board aud that %, thu STATE law The
consequence would be more or less con>
fusion We think, in view 0l these facts.
that il would be better Tor ,he llma To he
tN'd, az say from six or seven 20 twenty
This would save the school irom the
nuisance OF "hahy tending, ana all
wrAu-ins on tho question under con-
s;deration
Ysaru, ps,rNs.ssyr