New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-07

| God or of civil society. "The punishment
| of the faults and offenses Of children by the
parent" says DR.. Webster, ''is by virtue of
the right Of government with which the pa
right to punish the offenses of children
while at school is by common law
vested in the teacher as the repre-
sentative of the parent for the time being.
| 1t is the declaration of the law from time
| immemorial that the teacher is in loco par
| entis in the place of the parent. Now, it
teachers could always obtain the ready as.
| sent of parents to this power delegated to
them by law, much of their trouble in this
direction would cease; but when child re-
| bells against authority of school and meets
with encouragement in its disobedience at
home, the teacher can scarcely hope to sur.
mount the difficulty until his authority is
established. With the Permission of the
association will put case as an illustra-
ton of the necessity of establishing
authority: A child has committed an Otfense
in school; it is of Q grave nature, and its
| influence. if not punished, will have bane-
full effect upon the school. The teacher
calls him to account, and would exercise
milder measures, such as reprO0f, loss OF
privilege, the imposition of q task etc., but
the child, backed up by it's parents at home,
| is altogether Indifferent to reprof, is proof
against admonitiOn, and by its gestures or
ing exhausted all other means with this
incorrigible pupil, the teacher takes as a
last resort the intliction of corporeal pun
ishment, and BY the application OF the
strap or rod the child is reduced to submis-
sion for the time being, at least, and if let
alone would repent and improve.
But next morning comes and the
schoolroom, and on meeting the teach
er salutes him with: "H0w dare
you, sir for madam), to castigate and abuse
NV child?" Notwithstanding the annoy
ance and modification this step occasions
the teacher, he attempts to explain the
child's misconduct; but the parent grows
| furious, and in the presence OF the school
| threatens the teachers removal. dismissal,
or imprisonment and unwittingly reveals
| the secret of the childs perverseness. Il
want you to know" says he, "that l don't
| correct him myself. and do not propose
that you or any one else shall take any
such liberty with him."
Now, Mr. President, we have the highest
| authority for saying that "a child left to
himself brings his parents to shame" and
| if the parent does not and the teacher shall
not correct him, then / submit that in my
| Judgment that child has no business in
school, for if the teacher yields his point
and abandons the idea of authority, he may
be assured that matters will daily grow
worse. Ee must now, or never, maintain
and establish his authority, and thus save
the school and himself, or succumb to dis
obedience and rebellion forfeit the respect
of the entire school, be ever afterward
stigmatiZed as failure, and in the eyes OF
the world who, perhaps, may not know or
care to know all the circumstances IN the
case, accounted incompetent for office.
One of the most successful teachers that
ever lived in this country Il allude to the
late David Page, of New York, whose
| writings have read) says, concerning the
| establishment of authority: "If there is
reasonable ground to believe that by the in
| Fiction of punishment the teacher can es-
| tablish order, and thus make himself use
| full and save the time and character of the
school, he not only has the right, but he Is
| bound by duty to use it. The lovers OF
| order in the district have right to expect
| him to use it, unless by express stipulation
| beforehand they have exempted him from
| it. ! repeat, then, that it is the teachers
| duty to establish authority, 'peaceably, in
| deed, if he may, forcibly if he must
Having shown the necessity for the es.
| tabii shment of authority, we come to the
! consideration of school punishments, and
these may be, according to their nature.
| improper or proper.
|. Improper Punishments-It is evident
| that the mere sensation of bodily pain il
not punishment unless it be understood to
| be so. for how much pain will boy sustain
| from his companions at play without muir
mur-a certain punishment being the for
| felt of the game, and therefore he sup.
presses his torture with the utmost herOlsm.
| The understand ding of the punishment must
| be present. or the mere sensation of bodily
| pain is no punishment to him. Instead,
! therefore, of passing into the understanding e
| through the physical department of the
! human being, it should always be prefer
| able to punish as we'll as stimulate
! the higher sensibilities of the moral
| nature The teacher should never re-
| sort TO violent means, as pushing pull
| ing or shaking the child in order
| to obtain it's attention. Among the
| number of improper punishments are to be
placed those that from their nature excite
| the feeling in the pupil that an indignity
| has been committed against his person,
such as wringing the nose, pinching or pull
| ing the ear, twisting the hair, or smaeking
| the face or jaws with the palm OF the hand.
Equally so is the sustentIOn OF wearlsome
| bundens. unnatural and long continued at
ttudes of notwithstanding all day or
kneeling all day. are exceedingly improper
and injurious. These are all a resort to
mere physical force instead of moral iLcen-
tives, and involve no appeal to sense of
honor or duty in the child. They do not prop
erly assert the authority OF the teacher, nor
| do they really produce obedience on the con-
trary, they are always wrong, or. at least,
| inexpedeint. Their intliction implies either
| a wrongful feeling on the part of the teacher
| or promise no wholesome result on the part
of the pupil, and should be most carefully
avoided.s
The school room should be rendered at
| tractive, not. t.dreadful, and nothing should
| be allowed that conveys the idea of con-
tinual dread or alarm. If, for instance, a
boy fears that he might have to stand all
day, or knsel all day, he naturally breads the
place as he would prison, and the teacher
chooses to bs a truant rather than q per-
| petually punished pupil. The idea of con-
| tinued dread should not be associated with
the school. The pupils should know that
| they have the sympathy of the teacher, and
when punishment is inflicted it should
rever partake of that continuous int1ictiOn
of pain we denOminate torture, and never
administered except in spirit Of mildness
and deep regret at it's necessity.
But if teacher allows himself to grow
angry, and by harshness of words, or tone
or manner, betrays q want of self-contrOl,
that moment the pupils resentment is
aroused; he takes the attitude of self
defense, and the end for which the punish
| ment is intended is evidently lost. A
teacher to govern successfully must first
learn how to govern himself, and it is said
that "a man will govern more by his man
| ner than in any other way"
Another form that may be added to the
list is scolding. This is altogether too
| common, and he that indulges in it will not
| find it very prof he may say
many things that on reflection will cause
him regret. Firmness, vigilance and uni
formity in dealing with children are OF the
first Importance. The pupil should under