San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-11-16
SCHOOL PUNIsIiMENTs.
TLn.e Irurfired ~ France az CoWsp0red
with the EMOiish Sort.

The Pail Mall Gazette has tins TO say
concerning school punishments;
q II is often remarked that order is well
maintained in French public schools
without Aogging; but this is incorrect
French lycees are very disorderly places;
and it is not found that the punishments
inflicted in them conduce to what Eng
lishmen would call good discipline Oh
promote healthy moral tone among
the boys. A lyceen is punished by be-
ing deprived of his Sunday outings, by
being intcrdicted from speaking during
dinner, and by being put on short COM
mons at it; or, again, being locked up
for any period not exceeding seven days
in n chamber of durance nicknamed
"rours," where he must write out so
many hundreds or thousands OF lines.
Some of these penalties would be inap-
plicable in English public schools. An
Eaton boy would care little about being
deprived of pudding, for he could stroll
off to the nearest confectioncr's and
there complete his repast. He could
not be denied Sunday outings, for Eng
lish school boys are not in the habit OF
going home to spend the Sunday with
their friends, us is the custom in France;
while the introduction of "Pours, ne
cessitating rs it would the building OF
a number of prison cells, would proba-
bly, not be popular arrangement at
Eaton, either with the boys or their
parents. Again, what would an Eaton
boy think of being made to kneel i'll the
middle of his classroom on a log OF
wood during an hour, or being SEN
fenced to walk al.out for couple OF
days with ounces cap on his head?
These are favorite punishments in
French schools; and surely the moral
s,,asionist who thinks that hogging
is degrading to the recipient will hardly
contend that the wearing of FOOLS cap
is calculated to raise boys self-respect.
The argument as to the debasing infiu-
ence of fogging may indeed be dis
missed summarily by saying that self
respect, spirit, courage, love of truth,
and sense of honor generally are infin-
itely higher among English than French
schoolboys. The French themselves
candidly acknowledge this. A writer
in the Temps discussing scholastic pun
ishments some months ago, gave the
strongest condemnation to the system
prevalent in his own country, which,
he said. bored the boys, and made them
mutinous instead Of correcting them.
, The lyceen is seldom truthful, obcdient,
or well-bchaved. Living under the es-
poinagc of ushers, who superintend him
during play hours, and whom he open
! " despises, he thinks that all is fair to-
wards them. His masters are his natu-
raj enemies, and he may fb to them or
defy them without losing caste among
his school-fellows. Most people who
know how to manage boys will agree
that in families or in very small schools
almost all the punislments applied in
big schools may, with rare exceptions,
be dispensed with. The parent or
teacher who knows the temper OF his
boys, and WHO has them constantly I'M
der his eye, can win their confidence
and keep them straight without much
need for scolding. In small circle OF
BOYS. when one is punished all the 9th
ers are made uncomfortable; but this is
not the case in large schools. A public
schoolboy who deties authority will be
looked upon as a hero. and speedily find
imitators unless he is promptly brought
to book: then it is that the question
arises as to what punishment is best,
not only to correct the culprit, but to
prevent his example from being copied.
Doubtless a lecture would occasionally
be enough as far as the boy himself was
concerned: but unless the lecture were
read publicly before the whole school,
how would it affect hundreds of other
boys? A, lad in the fifth form, COM
mits breach Of rules which excites the
wonder and admiration of all his seniors
and juniors. He is called privately to
task by his tutor, repents, promises not
TO sin in the same way again, and keeps