Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-09-05
Bifmberism, &c. I'm our Public
schools

schools.
Elsewhere "a Parent, makes some timely
ard judiciOus suggestions In regard to the repre-
bsnsible practice OF requiring children to study
out OF school hours In the time that should be
allotted TO exercise and Tecre alton. As stated
BY our correspondent, this is lot only putting
mere strain upon the children than they should
be required TO bear, bat is shifting the duties Of
tie teacher nPOn the parents, who have other
taSts ana Iabors to perform.
The prime cause for the iniudicious require
nent of home study is 30 be found in the spirit
o. BhmbeTsm" that has grown up In our
pubic schools, by which ambitious teachers, in
the zeal Of emulation and to m AXE a good di.-
play On examination day, cram and force tae
unfortunate little ones confded to their caro-
without the slightest thought for their physical
we'll being. The systsm OF district sub boards
Of trustees has also helped forward the sams
vicious examining process, by serving to main
tain district iNalIies.
In ore way and another it has come about
that cur District schools, though ranking well
In many respects amongst the pablo schools Of
the country, are vastly behind in the vital mat
ter OF attention to the health aud ply al cuI-
ture OF the pupils: the foundation for all mental
culture worth having. 1t must be confessed,
SAL enough in the light of our costly expert
enee, that our big school buildings are great
FIRE litbogIaphic picture in school report, but
utterly failing in the essentials of good school
house. Everything has been sacrificed to arch.-
tectuIal show. and 10 sOlying the problem how
TO pack the largest number Of pupils under Que
roof. Light, ventilation, yard room, comfort,
order, quietude, and even the commonest at
teLt.oE 30 the rules of cleanliness and decency
have been tisTegsTded in these great costly
sLams which thrust their msusard roofs high in
the pupils a mouthful OF fresh air, a foot
OF really available Play ground where
the snail children can play without danger to
life OF limb from the mob OF big boys, and which
are provided with such miserable apologies
fsr wsteT-clOsets that the Board of Health
has been compelled to condemn them as a
nuisance. Mr.. PiOTman, Inspector of Build
ings, reports the water closets in one Of these
big buildings land which closet system was
modelled upon that Of one of the other big build
iDgs) as "entirely unfit for USE" 1t should be
added, that the disregard OF sanitary laws in
the water closet system is not confined to the
big scbool houses, though il is more conspicuous
In these costly, shOwy 'model" structures
Inspector PloWmsn reports of a school building
in the same district holding 20 boys, THAT the
pTiyy accommodations are simply a box with
two sesis, in very dilapidated condition" or
another school building in the same
district he reports: 81 There are no
water closet accommodations in the boys'
department worthy of the name. Those
in tie girls department need repairing
and The number increased - Yet another build
ing be reports ''in about the same condition."
and all this il IN one school district, while it is
known that the same filthy OF inadequate water
clOstt accommodations are 10 b. found in all
tie districts.
OR school hoard must turn over new leaf.
and begin TO give some attention to the health
Of TIE children. Everywhere else school boards
educators, and medical authorities are turning
then attention 10 this side OF the question: aud
We quote the following sPropcs paragraphs
from an article in the September number of the
SGHitarlaH, by DIR. G. Il. Agne Y, a higl authori-
~ in sueh matters:
at is p serious question whether we are not
setuDE what Il called education al too exOrbi-
taDt pIlce, when the health aud usefulness of
eyes are impaired or sacrificed. And the mis-
Chief that done to eyes in schools and colleges
may safely be taken as an Indication Of tue
damage thSt is inflicted upon other parts OF the
tOcy. ObJectcrs may, perhaps, say that the
srpslling statistics obtained BY the foreign OBJ
servers could not be gathered in American
schools and colleges. L believe that they might
and found my belief upon twenty years work
amorE Just the classes OF subjects tabulatad nv
C9bn and the other Continental Observers I
believe that cur system OF education, If. indeed
we nay he ssid TO have system, is one of the
ulCSt IN ltS eUecIS upon the growing
bodies Of scholars of any IN the world Let any
one familiar with hygiene take the pains. a /
have, to inquire carefully into the physical
effects Of cnTricuia Of our leading schools and
colleges, snd be viii be compelled 10 confess
that tEere Is the greatest cause for reform.
j be att niiOn which is paid to gymnastic exer-
c'see ard other methods OF physical culture
Goes rot correct the evils. 1t often happens
that these who really heed physical exercise
nest DO Lot get it. or that the exercise is exces-
siye- and faes harm To those who engage in IL
What We need IN our school and college curri-
Cula IS a ctaiiEUfioH Of he hours Of labor. The
"A he n0TtTg 20 ten or eisrsH at night. TIE strain
It's pat tTCn 0TOtriiig bOdiss is too greet. Some
method should be devised by which much that
row involves PERSISTENT use of the ewes in con-
nned ana unnatural pastures OF the body could
be accOmPl she'd thrJu "a the use OF models or
Photographs, Ct the blackboard. Much that il
row stteH pied 20 be taught by badly printed
books might re taught orally or by some form
OF object lessODs- Even IN such radical changes
could rot be accomplished, much might
be done toward lesseniDg the evil effects
OF Cur present method by .hortsHiug
the hours dSrofsd 10 studV. BY correct
ing defects in the architecture of class ana
study rooms. by Improving the ventilation,
hestiTP, and lighting OF schOol-houses, and by
Giffusing Information among the parents OF
scholars, so that there may be less in the home
life ~ az is pre- ud ciSl to health And Just here
We touch the very fountain of the evil. Our
schools Cannot be much, II anv, above the
Intelligence Of their patrons 1 do not blame
the teachers for the evils in our systems OF
education. blame boards of trustees and other
school and college boards for not applying the
IrnciIleE that have already been worked out
~ scientific men, IL architects ard boards of
nansgersof schools and colleges would apply in
the construction and conduct of their ipstitn-
tors OF !earnir : even few Of the PRINCIPLES
that sGnitaIiaHs al agree upon, we would at
once see q reduction in those forms of disease
which are uaceA6'e to their present neglect"
Mary Walker IA ouI- fIla1 ,o-3.yo-