Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-11-08
Valuable Facts for Educators.

With the viewing of learning the
causes for which 166 pupils dropped out
of the high school the past school year
the board of education of Cleveland,
Ohio, has collected some statistics which
should arrest the attention of educators
in Baltimore, as elsewhere. Indeed, the
matter has been brought directly home
to us by the correspondence of the
health departments of Cleveland and
Baltimore. The reasons influencing
the Cleveland board were such facts as
these: "Half a dozen students have
been sent to insane asylums; much
larger number have been taken from the
school rooms with brain fever; boy
blew out his brains because he failed,
and young woman under like circum-
stances tried to drown herself. and sew
eral young persons have been perma
nently injured by everlasting or volun.
tary Over-study." The complaint was
made that the schools are t'trying to
teach too much" and in too short q time,
and that the elimination of the evil is
reached in "the bad custom of making
a public display of the work of the
session. 1.-THE pale cheeks, dull eyes,
stopped shoulders and weary looks of
many of the pupils of the high school.
at an age when we expect to see bright
faces, rosy cheeks and erect forms, /"
suggest to the Clevelanders that "the
high pressure principle of education
seems to need an air-brake."
Investigation brought out facts with
regard to forty of the absent boys and
eighty five of the one hundred and nine
girls. Particulars were also obtained of
fifty-eight girls still attending the high
school, and of thirty. two recent gradu-
ates, as well as of eleven pupils who left
the school the previous year. OF the
forty boys thirteen left the school from
bad health Of the ninety>six girls
who had left the school seventy-twO left
on account of bad health, and twenty
four for other reasons while at school
but twenty five had maintained tOlera-
BILE health. The ninetysix girls while
attending school had suffered in the
following numbers from the ailments
named: From loss of sleep, A; from
headache, SO; from backache, so; nerv-
GUS symptoms. AZ; weak eyes, "a; from
arrangements peculiar to the female
constitution, 26. Climbing stairs aud
standing during examinations, together
with irregular meals, were thought by
some parents the causes of the daugh-
ters' breaking down, while others at
trihuted it in part to the noon dancing.
Of the fifty-eight girls now at the
school it was found that fifty-four
entered in pretty good health, of whom
but twenty-five retain it. Their all
ments are thus distributed: Suffering
from loss of appetite %, from loss OF
sleep Is, from headache 80, from back
ache IS, from nervous symptoms 81,
from eyes IS, from arrangement of fe-
male functions II, tout of 20 with regard
to whom information was obtained. y
The statistics as to the thirty-two "girl
graduates" teach the same lesson. All
entered school in pretty good health,
and but twelve maintained it while at
school. Since leaving school but nine
teen have regained their former health.
Their ailments we're: Loss of appetite
IL, loss of sleep Z, headache %, bachache
8, nervous symptoms, 81, weak eyes IL.
arrangement of functions 6, tout of IL
from whom facts were obtained y
Of the total boys and girls. 226 in all, as
many as IS left school wholly or in part
by reason of bad health, and Ill have
gained in health since leaving. Such
statistics are definite and practical, and
may be commended to the study of
school boards everywhere. It may not
be too much to hope that their consider
alton may lead to the abandonment at
least of our system of medals, prizes and
public displays.-Bdlt. Sun.