The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-03-22
= PIEA FOR rns cH1LDREN.
Tbs Editor of The wichita Ea<Ie On
/ ..rardy BslIs.v
By request We publish the i, How.

This Editor of the Wichita Eagle an
.srardy BslIs.v
By request We publish the IL How
ins plea for the little folks from the last
issue of the Wichita Eagle.
Cannot our good superintendent him
self, or in connection with the other
teachers, or board of education, devise
some method whereby the tardv bell
may be abolisheds Or must the lives
of our more nervous and sensitive lille
ones be harrassed forever by the infer
mai Changing tandy belIss II is the home
lie and arrangements that cause chill
dren TO be tardy, AID The little cnes
themselves are not 10 blame From the
moment they are out of bed their woIry
commences. Food is half eaten. and
their delicate aud tender ofganiZatinDs
are put to an eternal strain. There is
not day passes, hardly, that little tea
der souls may not be seen rushing in tie
direction OF some one OF the school
buildings, the tears streaming dow
their faces and urged on by older br9i.
eFs or sisters, crying in their distress for
fear the tardy bell will cease is
brazen summons before they reach ihr
threshold. : II is refined torture and
makes our blood boil when We Wit
ness 1t. And there are other things
against which We s0lemnly protest One
OF them is the employment of young
ana inexperienced teachers in primary
grades, the place of all others needir.s
experience and motherly intuition a. d
understanding. Besides, the schulass in
the advanced schools are allowed TO go
out whenever nature commands. VIII l.
IN the schools where the tender buds W.
love so are hGddled together, consent
must first be obtained What the result
is the doctors and mothers OF Wichita
can tell, but more solemn answer
comes from the silent little mounds ON
the hill A call of nature denied or un-
heeGed Is followed, ever, by dire p; n.
atty. And child hQnessarily punIsh q.
or sensitive nature humiiiaied, is .,
more terrible CRIME than robbery or Ita
violation OF sH oath. It Is not tic
Wichita schools but the sehnul, of the
whole country that are open TO Ihese oh.
jections. Ours are probably as free of
these faults as the most, but strict rules,
competition, enforced rivalry and EN-.
ulation are the curse of latter-day
schsoIiBg. 4 great many teachers II
Dor under the impression, says son;e nnr,
that to achieve success in teaching the,
must enforce the stTictest discipliur.
They do not allow their little chargt :,
who are as free as air at home, bud |
ought to be, to move or turn in their
seats, or to converse with each other on |
topics copnected with their lesson even,
lest they make some coIimoti0q car |
disturb the school or the NERVES of Ike |
teacher. The young are naturally rest |
less, naturally full of active life, natur- |
ally love TO play and talk, and any dis |
CULINARY curbing has depressing effect
on their minds and is odions W.. |
speak How af lutte children. Re they |
are compelled to remaia in one position |
any length of time they become weary |
OF their labor aad their minds become |
confused and. imperfect Lessons, and
sleeplesspess, and indiges-
ton result. An old aud experienced ed.
ucator says: Those schools in which the
pupils are allowed the greatest free
dom IN their action are the
most successful Any confidence in
pGpiie i2 appreciated by them,
and they seldom abuse privileges given
them. 1t is not that school in which
the greatest quietness prevails that
makes the best progress. it is quite the
contrary; because there is some noise /
and confusion attending upon work ot
nearly every kind, and ths work of the
school room is no eIceptiQn TEe
pupils cannot work and preserve quiet.
ness, and if pupil remains very quiet
he is contemplating some mischief or is
indifferent to his work We have no
hesitancy in declaring if different sys.
tenn cannot be maintained by our schools,
then the board Of education should |
abolish the primary grades, allowing no
child under ten years old to attend
school. Such Is the feeling on the sub.
ieot that two az or public ofiicers-Oae
Of them member of the school board
will no longer allow their children TO
attend school, and two mothers have !
told US that they understood the school |
fund for the year was exhausted, of
which they were so glad.
Many promising child has been hur
ried to the grave or crippled in intel |
lect and enfeebIed in body by oyer |
study. A little eight year Old girl in
Philadelphia died a few days ago from |
brain fever in which her delirious |
thoughts were about examples In arith-
metic. She had been in mortal fear of |
being set back grade by failure of ex-
animation. Common sense in the |
school room is one OF the chief needs of |
the period.
Our children are being made ma |
chimes of. who must 90 at the tap of the |
bell and be run through on time, held |
to an int1exible track aud rigid route !
under the highest possible pressure, |
their drivers forgetting or ignoring the |
fact that they are but tender human |
plants and not insensate, tirelesS en-
gines OF ribbed steel and roaring fires.