Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-12-04
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
The Public schools.


Washington twenty men who will undertake to
edit THE STAR. and thirty who have, as they
think, the most excellent plans for revolution
ling our public school system. One would
drop all text books; another. nearly all the
studies. A third would limit the hours TO one
or twoa day and let the pupils come when they
taught according to Its bent In class by Itself:
fifth would turn the schools into workshops:
a sixth would have the rich In one set of schools
and the Door Ia another; q seventh would have
every teacher professor of theology and every
school church; and so on, to the end OF all
the crotcheiy notions On the subject OF educa-
ton. II Is worthy Of note, that no two OF
these refOrmers agree.
Take, for example, your three correspondents
In last Saturdays number "Ex-SCholar''
makes two criticisms In trifing matters OF
detail; STACY is faint echo OF Olivia; and j.
II. j. thinks the only Improvement needed is to
take religious instruction out OF the hands OF
parents and the church and conflde It to the
teachers of public schools!
Let US examine these communications more
In detail. Ex.Scholar thinks that the principal
motive for teaching several OF the most import
on the closing day. AS matter OF fact, the
examinations on the branches named are
nearly all In writing and are not attended by
more than few persons. was present. last
fall. at the most interesting one; and there
were only seven other strangers there, several
OF them by invitation. II the defamation eX-
ercises are referred to, the branches named
make no figure on such occasions. the impu-
tation OF motive by Ex-Scholar is absurd and is
evidently uncbaritable.
Again he charges that ''for nearly two months
before the closing day, copies, drawing maps,
&C., are required from the scholars neccsslta-
ting late hours and work, endangering eyeSlsh hit
and general health" &C He refers to one
girls who worked TIL l a. N. to finish their
designs" The conduct OF this teacher was
not only wrong, but in violation OF the rules.
dismissed. The printed regulations require
that map drawing shall not be assigned for
study at home" (See school rep, 1852, page
~
That teacher is an exception to her class as
great as is 'ex-Scholar' to the graduates of the
public schools. Indeed, 1 cannot think he is
agraduate; he must have made his exit at some
place below the top; graduate would not slap
his anna mater In the face with petty spite.
''Stacy is evidently the friend and imitator
OF Olivia; and, Judging from the gushing style,
1.-THE old man stoned by these little fiends."
Now, We have Olivia's word for 1t that the old
man was kicked" Which was it? II this Incl
der. As neither OF these ladies processes to have
seen this deplorable affair." let us hope that 1t
was rumor only, without foundation In fact.
naSe esd d for g9d hnSMed Of the
have never heard Of any similar instance.
Stacy charges the school system with
"adaptability to numbering the bodies and
minds and souls OF Children and asserts, by
1ndirection, that educating Child In public
school naturally causes 1t to fall into coma or
die "rav1ng Of algebra She says that Boston
found the common schools We're driving the
children ''to idiocy, mania, death or an aIteau-
ated and useless life," and has taken new de-
parture. With due respect, / submit that BoS-
irresponsible persons sought notorlety by pub
fishing reckless newspaper articles on the sub
Ject;. but no sucn thing was found. The dis
stitut1on OF oral instruction for text books; and
the experiment was tried, proved failure and
has been abandoned. its author sailing for
Europe to escape the Odlum of his failure. Does
stacy wish US to make the same experiment
at Washington?
A serious word on the important subject OF
health OF children may not be amiss. IL is alb
surd In most cases to tmpute to the school the
bad health OF children. Many of them are thinly
clad. some have no oVercoatS for cold, or rub.
Ders for snowy weather, few no warm under
Clothing; some are put to sleep in tll-Ventilated
rooms, or exposed to the emanatiOnS Of sewer
gas; many are fed on hot biscuit pies and
pastry; many come to school without lunch, and
hours; many, especially girls, are ordered
straight home from school and have no exercise
either In the open air or in gymnasium many
are not kept judiciOusly bathed, but are either
great injury OF the nervous system; some are
allowed TO remain for hours with wet clothing
on, to sit up late at night and to contract
Irregular habits OF the moSt1Djurious character;
and Others, are obllgt d, on Sunday, to be with
In doors, except when they are at Sunday
school and church, and to be still all day. The
children is lamentabiy few. The logical thing
for STACY to do Is TO advocate the ABOLITION OF
the rights OF parents, not the destruction OF the
chiIdren get is at school; and the negligence.
ignorance and folly OF parents are more prolific
causes OF bad health In children than the
schools.
Consider the facts. There are never more
than from 1S5 TO 1?l school days IN the year.
Deduct the long and the Christmas holi-
days and the occasional ones. with Saturdays
VAS holiday when the brewers went In process
sion TO the fair, with their big hogsheads: and
the children had four days out of school begin
Mig with Thanksgiving. The holidays are
gelllng 10 be or frequent occurrence.
The hours spent In school are: 1st grade, 81
hours fSu , I'd grade. hours; 9Th grace, holrs;
sion at 1917 and an hour at noon. The flrst two
grades have no lessons to get at home; the
others. up to the grammar school, range from
one hour to one hour and half home study.
In the first seven grades about half the time In
school is free from recitation and can be used
for study. If the Child Will use it in that way
he iced study very little at home. II parents
see to IL that proper exercise is taken out of
school hours. the health will not be injured by
the school studies.
All who attended the public school concert
last week, at Lincoln Hall, will testify to the
healthy appearance OF the young people. Most
OF them have been pupils several years. On
this health question, idle defamation will not
do. Let us have statistics. l cOncede that the
hired school rooms are not proper places for
children: but the trustees are doing their best
to get appropriations for building well-venti-
lated houses.
1 have hardly the courage to ask YOU for
room TO notice j. r. j. His panacea for
the evils Of the public schools Is religious
instruction" He will not find many to toin
him In this view. For my part, prefer to in
struct my children In religious matters at home,
and have them instructed at a church and Sun.
day school OF my own choosing. l don't know
the religious views OF the teachers and
don't ask anything OF them, in those
matters, except not to interfere With my rights
claim to be priest in my own family. Let the
teacher stick to his own business. The public
schools are paid for from the public funds; aud
they should be limited to matters on which all
citizens can unite. Let us have one more insIt-
tuition in which there Is fair play and justice for
all; In which men show they are religious
enough to respect the rights Of all, even the
weakest. There is no more reason why the
teacher OF public school should teach religion
than why judge or the president OF the stock
exchange should deliver sermon on opening
their respective institutions for business. The
real reason OF such fanaticism Is wish to drive
certain classes OF pupils from the schools. But
1t Is useless TO argue with fanatics. The quo.
tation from Gen. Garfield expresses the senti.
ments OF the best friends OF our public school
system. The evils he points out are the ones
Stunned In Washington.
To sum up: The public school education Is de-
nounced by men who think schools should fill
the place OF an apprenticeship system: by arts
tocrats. who believe in careful separation OF