Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-12-13
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
1 Principal who Recommends whip
plug Children.


wAA, . Female rnnsips, Th,nIs ~ ~.
Metropolitan sss,sH'
"What do 70 want r inquired the Jan,
itor u q grammar school, on sesihg .
reporter Invading his premises,
NJ want 10 500 the 'el00l."
care yea an Inspector suspieiously
asked the guardian Of The pablo prop
erty,
enc"
Thin "a can't look at H."
Baked In this direction, the inquirer
took another tack,
"Whsrs Ia the principal y
sis II the principal 70 want 10 see :
He's on the tairrd hure" And In 40
eoriahes with this direction the 10
porter bstook himself to tho top OF the
house, where hs found the principal
aud was received with great courtesy by
hat gentleman, who expressed himself
quite freely upon certain points Of the
school system,
"Oue great trouble with rs here"
said he, sis our lack OF authority over
pupil, Wa ara prohibited from using
corporal punishment IN any form what
/ ever, and We are not allowed TO keep
boy IN after haltpast three o'clock nor
at the noon recess 10 tho only dlfei-
plinary force We have to rely upon ID
moral suasion, Among such class OF
boys a. NO have here, there arc apt TO
DO some who are MT amenabls TO tho
gentler means, They arc not seeus-
toned to minding a. home. and will
not do 10 At school, One such boy can
annoy a whole class, and render the
teachers efforts AT instruction almost
u'eles. Our only remedy, after all
means AZ our disposal arc exhausted. Ia
TO turn tho boy into the street, where
he Ia pretty anre soon to become an
hAbitual criminal. Understand me, hir,
l do not mean that the rod should DO
used habltually, or even frequently,
ouly aay at after every attempt has
been made to win boy by kindness,
and has failed. thrashing will often do
him good. In some eases the ute OF
the rod Ia the 'ruest kindness 10 the boy,
and In tho end the best kind OF moral
suasion. OF course, such q power In
the hands OF the principal Ia liable to
abuse, but 80 Ia every power, The
principal should Lave q large respond
bility, and DO held strictly to H."
Another principal was found by the
reporter writing letter TO q daily
paper. In anawer TO his views on the
school question, he handed over q copy
OF that paper. Indicating q certain
article, "fhose are my sentiments said
no. The letter was ono protesting
against tho limited power given to piin.
oipals, especially in the matter Of dis
oipline, and citing al instance OF a
letter he had received from man, 10
which tho latter said that no was at his
work all day, and could not attend 10
the boy, and asked tho principal ~
make the boy mind and keep him at
school. In answer to such letter, he
had TO tell tina father that he had 10
authority over tho boy, and was debarred
by law from doing as was requested.
THAT is only one instance out OF
many" said he to tho reporter. "The
hardcst case ia when q poor widow
comes to me, and says. %, sir, I cannot
control my boy. l want him to go to |
school. He must not become vagrant.
You arc strong man, and can control
him. Punish him il necessary, but do
not turn him ont In the street. Now
what can / do7 That boy may be q
Luisance to his entire class. II may be
q positive injury to have him in the
school. II l ad the power % punish
him, the very knowledge Of that would
have restraining influence, and no
might not need punishment OF all. Now
he knows that he can do practically
rs lie peases. To be turned out IS just
what he wants and is probably working
fer"
"Are many boys turned out for this
reason"
dozens Of them. There are not
many reported, but I venture to soy
that for one that is reported there are
ten that are practically turned out"
"Why are they not reported"
"Oh, It wouldnt do to suspend very
many. TIE superintendent would be
down on the principal and he would get
q bad reputation"
"But il they are not formally suspen.
ded, how are they turned out?'
"That is easy enough. The principal
goes to the parent and tells him that
he can 90 nothing with the boy, and
that he had better lie withdrawn. The
parent wishes to avoid formal expul.
sion, and removes the boy, who Is always
glad enough to Co."
''Is this the only point in the system
you would complain Off"
"No, sir; not by any means. Tho
principal is helpless in other directions.
Why, l have just got rid OF IN incompe.
tent, insubordinate teacher, after work.
ing for two years to get it DONE Four
times I reported her as bad in discipline
and in instruction, and my reports were
backed by those of the examiners, and
yet she had influence enough to hold
on for two years, and even then she sue.
ceeded in being transferred to another
school, and there she is today"
"Did she have political influence r
emo; I wouldn't call it political. Call
it personal. II you were E trustee, and
beautiful young lady came to you, and
with tears in her eyes told you she had
been abused, and implored your inAu-
ence in keeping her from unmerited
disgrace, what would you be apt to
do?"
The reporter blushingly refusing to
make the case personal one, the prin-
opal continued:
Sand that isn't all, either. The course
Of study is almost useless in school
like this. These boys can't 90 to COL
lege. They must leave before they
reach the first grade, or even the sec
ond, and 20 to work. And they carry
away from here nothing whatever that
will be Of use to them. They are hur-
ried on from grade to grade, 10 that
when they reach the third grade they
cannot read we'll or spell we'll, or write
= good letter or compute sum in inter-
est and all this botany and physiology
and vocal music and drawing and min
eralogy and French and German are q
mere waste Of time that should be used
in teaching them something that will
help them to earn their living. The
course may do very well in more fash.
ionable neighborhoods, where the boys
all want to go to college, and the girls
to the Normal college, but down here it
M