Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-02-25
A Boys Republic.

The ability to control the pupil by
moral power. by emotional influences.
by ingenuity and tact, as we'll as to. i'm
part instr uctiou, is, or should be, The
principal qualification Of the teacher.
The famous DR.. Arnold, of Rugby.
was one Of those dflactic geniuscs
whose personality was greater clemens
in his success than his learning or his
ability to teach. On a smaller scaEa
we have been interested in the narra-
tive of an instructor who, through Tho
columns of the New York Ecsning Pos,
relates his success in revolutionizing
his school from a monarchy into . re-
public. Having determined to try tho
Experiment, he, by o series of ques-
tions, proved to his pupils that tas
school government was that of limited
monarchy, and then proposed trying
self-government for the space OF ons
hour. Provided that they did nothing
to disturb the school they were not
to be marked for their conduct. .
It was tested for an hour, then fcr
two hours, then for q day, and 6ually
for week. The result was 90 crafty
ing that he proposed, # it should 60
on two days more, to show them large
printing and publishing establishment.
I" But on Monday theylreceived two
warnings and we're told that third
disturbance would cause the downfall
of the republic. The warnings were
not needed, q third came-crashl went
the republic, and the old monarchy
rose upon its ruins" The contrast was
extremely disagreeable. One young
| 81 kal kkck Gal In
expect too much of them on Monday,
because Saturday and Sunday inter-
vened and it took them some time to
get into school ways again. So it was
agreed that they should try once moro
with special effort to brace up on
Monday. in which they succeeded.
At the same time there were constant
occasions for the teachers interventions
lessons must be learned and recited or
der kept, and the work of the schoolrOom
pushed. II was therefore agreed that.
after school, an appeal from the teach
ers' decisions might be taken aud re-
ferred to three boys, or judges-ons
chosen by the principal, one by tas
teacher, the third by these two saYs,
the decision to be final. At frs. ,eir
virtue was weak. Troublesom" .,Oya
got their marks Cancelled, and lsx a,ys
got their marks increased. Th3 ~
cisioDs were often outrageous, and the
principal warned them that it would
bring about downfall OF the SYSTEM
But the tide turned. Their consciences
helped them, and the industrious boys
began to s.e that the lazy boys wera
getting as high marks as themselves
without the trouble of working for
them. Tie judges began to decide in
favor of the principal, and when the
lazy boys grumbed he told them they
must submit, az he had done.
One day some of tho boys prevented
one Of their com fades from going homo
because it WAS their inning" at the
game, and il WAS not fair, they said, for
him TO leave. The principal con-
demned them to one weeks exclusion
FROM the play room, and they APP
peai.d. The principal, leaving
the room for moment, overheard one
If the judges asking another il they
thought they could lick the culprits1
they decided against them. The other
two jud ges agreed to stand by him, and
the decision of the principal was sus-
,ained.
This system has worked we'll for
twenty years which alone il proof OF it,
right to existence. Sometimes the de-
cisions have been exceedingly strange,
but inquiry showed that the boys haA
information which would have been in
accessible to teache rs, and which haS
entirely changed the nature of the Gaze.
Sometimes nothing is known OF the
affair by the teachers until tue "stand-
ing committes" OF boys requests The
teacher to retain certain pupil aftec
school or to exclude him from the play
ground. A boy who complains TO =
teacher is called tell-tale, or is put in
coventry, and sometimes thrashed by
the other boys. But he can at any timo
complain to his comrades and have his
case adjudged. As boy who lie pun
ished is often looked upon by the others
as an Il-used martyr, but sick boy"
i. by the average. rugged boy held in q
certain contempt, the words dose" or
medicine" were substituted for pun
ishment and penalty. The system trains
the boys judgments and does away
entirely with that jealousy Of tho
teachers authority and resentment Of
the teachers discipline, which the
monarchial system arouses.
Such an experiment could not safely
be tried by every teacher, nor would il
probably work as well among an indis-
criminate class Of pupils as it did at
this school. But it suggests modifea-
tions of prevailing methods that are
worthy OF consideration. It also shows
that the desire or ambition OF any
teacher to suggest and exercise any
originality or deviation from routine.
deserves encouragement. - Detroit
Free Press.
Another good Paris story, now cur.
IL. - L. A LII xlxxa