The Hawaiian gazette., 1874-05-20

not only are parents and guardians entire
" apatheho in the matter Of the choice of
third member for their district school
board, but it has also demonstrated that =
door has been opened by it to a very shift
less portion of our population to enter our
common schools as teachers.
The Board of Education, through its
authorized agents, has ever been ready to
listen to all the reasonable requests of the
parents of any district in matters pertain
ing to the education of their children
respectfully recommend that your Honor
able Body repeal this Act
Manual Labor in NE Common Schools.
am of the opinion that manual labor
should be made part of our system of
common school education. There are
Government lands lying contiguous TO
common school houses, now unemployed.
In many localities portion of this could
be utilized by the pupils and teachers in
raising remunerative crops would re-
commend that an act be passed by your
Honorable Body empowering the Board
of Education to introduce manual labor
into the educational course of the COM
mon schools, and setting apart, under GER
tain conditions, portions of the public do
main, adjoining the various school houses,
which may be fit for cultivation of crops,
to the uses of the pupils and teacher,
wherever no school lands can be made
available for the purpose, and also to lease
suitable lands and to arrange for the cul-
tivation of crops on shares or otherwise.
Three or four hours per day of earnest
attention to school lessons, and two or
three hours of manual labor out of doors,
would promote health and industrious
habits; the avails of the labor would add
to the income of the teachers and furnish
the pupils with means to pay for books,
and would, if properly carried out, be an
improvement upon the present system.
1t is frequently remarked that the ris-
ing generation are not as industrious as
their ancestors were; that they-ard es-
pecially those educated in the higher
schools and in the English language
have wrong ideas about labor; in short.
are lazy and idle, and have much more of
pride and conceit than is good for them.
If the general effect of education under
our present system, is to destroy or lessen
respect for honest industry, or for thrift
and independence acquired by manual
labor, then is there something wrong or
wanting in that system, and it behooves
all friends of the race to search for bet
ter one. But if such ideas are exception
al, and proceed from the inexperience of
youth, and the lack of proper home in
struction and training, then may we hope
that their bad influence will be tempo
rary, aud that time and necessity will cor
rect them. Hawaiian parents are as a
rule over-indulgent with their children,
and no schooling which the Government
can provide will wholly remedy the dam
age resulting from neglect of paternal
discipline
1t is important that in all of the schools,
those for girls as well as those for the
boys, desire to be able to provide for
their own wants in an honest way, and
respect for the industrious and virtuous,
however humble their station and employ
nent may seem to be, should be incul-
,ated. Where else so well as in family
schools, or in well-ordered households, can
iuch instruction be given and such ideas
Impaired?