Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1881-01-06
sELF,GOvERSMESr IN SCHOOLS.

SELF.GOVERNMESr IN SCHOOLS.
Bsw n I.arge sehooI Was Made "a Kerub.
lio and Ia PupIls Trained I', s@'r-tsrv~rri
saent-sae tirigsa ar the scheme nnd the
methods I'ursued some IaeIdeat. OF the
WORK.
SOME years ago IL struck me as very
strange that, although solfgOvernmeni
is acknowledged by all 10 be the very
basis Of our republic, il was never
taught in our schools, go that no prae-
tical preparation whatsoever was made
for future citizenship and very little
even Of theoretical instruction given in
our grayest duties.
Having determined 10 Try the expert
ment in my own school, | took advant-
age OF recitation in geography one
morning TO ask;
"What is the government of this
country we are speaking of?''
"A monarchy
What is the government of our own
oopntryP'
"a republic"
What is the government of our
schoolP"
"A republic"
What Is It then. sirPr
- limited monarclv.''
MhyF We are not your s,n'ects.N
Yes you are. Your pnsents have
Tolerated to me certain powers, and
you mnSt obey my ORDER AS long ms
they see TT TO leave you here
"Well, sir, we don't like to be any
ones SUBJECTS VIC prefer TO be rcpub-
licans"
DO you think yourselves capable of
self-governmentF'
''Yes, sir"
well l have no objection TO trying
youi but we must do so by degrpes |
shall try you for one hour first"
What, siri Won't you mark MS at all
for ANYTHING we dOp'
NOi always provided that YOU do not
disturb the business OF the school, for
that mnst go on"
erg well, sir. -
We tried II for an hour, then for two
hours, then for a day, then for n week.
AT the end OF the week | told them |
was very much gratiiied with their
powerot sell government, and proposed
as reward, that we should 90 on Tues
day a ternoon 10 q book printing estab-
lishment; but alas on Monday they re-
eeiyed two warnings, and were told
that third disturbance would cause
the downfall OF their republic The
warnings were not heeded third
came crash went the republic. and the
olq monarchy rose upon its ruins,
The contrast was diSagreeable. The
iree republican of a moEent ago, who
had been "a law unto himself was
now a subjected, "cabinod. cribbcd,
confined his ineomings and his out
goings noted and all his shortcomings
carefully marked. One bright, open
faced youngster soon came up and
Mr., M, it isn't fair TO expect so
much ofus on Monday, because il comes
right after Saturday aud Sunday, and II
takes us some time toget into the school
ways again.
"Then you are not 10 be considered
as capable of self-govemment unless
you can resist the influences of Monday
as we'll ns of all the other days.
Yes, sir.h
Very wen, we win try IL again"
They succeeded in governing them
selves for the rest Of the week and the
Monday following. We went TO tho
publishing establishment and enjoyed
II. Then, however graver questions
arose, III the boys were TO govern
themselves entirely they must decide
about everything, but the lessons must
De learned and recited, order must be
KEPT, ana tho school work must go on.
To satisfy these different ideas II was
agreed that the teachers should be just
as absolute as before, that the boys
should be marked for conduct and les
sons as before; prompt obedience
should be required aud no discussions
allowed during school time; but az re-
cess aud after school anybody could
appeal from any Of the teachers de-
cislons to jury of three boys (they
were sometimes called judges), one
chosen BY himself, ono by the teacher
and athiId by these two; and from the
decision Of these judges there should
peno appeal This seemed q hazard-