The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-09-13
EDUCATIONAL.
A Plea for REGULATIONS in Pubic
Schools at Stated Hours---Mgr
Capel on Early Education.
The Question of Kindcrgartens--
Written EXaminations--Th Study
of Grammar.
ONE THING AT A TIME.

ONE THING AT A TINE.
So strono is the force of tradition
and habit that it would be difficult to
popularize any method OF conducting
our schools which would require the
teacher only to instruct the pupils, who
would come to him simply for that
purpose and not to study under his di-
rection. But why should the quality
of his class-work be impaired by the
necessity of constantly looking after
those who are studying in the room
while his class is reciting? If special
teacher cannot be employed for the
study-room, why not, to illustrate. let
one grade come at nine o clock, rccitc
half its lessons, and then, rs the second
Grade comes in, be dismissed till the
afternoon session, when the mornings
order of coming and going would be
repeated? A plan somewhat like this
has been found to work well In acade-
mics. and much can be said for its
adoption in our public schools.
/. 1t would save expense. AS all OF
the school would not be present at the
same time, school-room accommoda-
tons need not be so great Cities
could more easily provide for their
mountaineering school population.
2 There would be a gain on the
score of health. 1t has been asserted
by good authority that no system Of
ventilation yet devised can keep per-
fectly pure the air in room that con-
tains forty or more persons for several
hours in succession.
8. The teaching would be more
effective Any teacher who has had
the experience knows that his work is
much more profitable to his class,
when there is nothing TO distract his
attention.
4. The number of good teachers
would be increased. Many excellent,
well-qualiied instructors fail because
they have not sufficient skill in govern
inc a study-room. Others, and OF
these many belong to the most desir-
able type of teachers, give up an
otherwise agreeable work on account
of the many petty annoyances that
originate in the study-room.
B. The moral advantage would be
great. All that can be said on this
GiOuuu against liNtoO, a'l'PAl'o w tiiO
custom of keeping large numbers Of
pupils in school-room when not re-
citing. Parents are often shocked by
reports of foolish "horn-sprees" and
brutal "hazing," ut certain schools,
and yet in the homo-school children
may be quietly acquiring habits much
worse in their effect on the character,
because more secret and undermined.
T. Better habits of study would be
formed. The impossibility of fully
occupying the time of each member of
a large class, the necessity of remain
ing in the studyroom the prescribed
time, the little attention that the other
wise busy teacher can give to each one,
engenders often habit of dawdling
that ends in mental sluggishness.
T. The popularity of the schools
would be increased Many who have
the means, send to private schools or
instruct their children at home, in
view of the two points just mentioned.
This plan would, OF course, meet no
favor from parents who send their
children to school to get them out of
the way; and it may be objected that
many children would not study at all
ii not under the teachers eye 1t is
true, more responsibility in this re-
spect would be thrown upon parents,
as il should be, unless the teacher is
given time to attend TO the preparation
Of lessons properly; but the teacher
would be able to make the recitations
more interesting, and this, with the
making of promotion depend upon
real progress, would reduce this evil
to minimum, especially when public !
sentiment has had time to adapt itself
to the new order of things. Again, it
is an open question whether, under our
present method, sufficient response
olilty Is thrown upon the pupil, espec-
iaily as he grows in years, TO develop
ms character properly w. H. Schuy-
Ter, IN J0HrRdi Of Edua0tioR