The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-10-16
MILITARY DRILL IN SCHOOLS.

After the exceedingly impressive lesson that
this country received on the value of military
drill, seems strange the clements of that train
ing are not made compulsory part ofthe educa-
ton in every school in the land. We do not
mean by this the whole body of military drill,
for soldierly operations, But what ought to be
taught everywhere is SO much of Upton's tactics
as is comprised in the "school Of the company"
This embraces the setting-up drill, which
teaches the youth to habitually assume an
erect, graceful and easy posture, and cannot
fail to be Of great advantage to him through
ments in body by twos, tours, and in line.
As this is the simplest and inconceivably
the best way in which bodies of men or women
can be moved at the command of another it
could very advantageously take the place of
the methods now employed in schools to move
classes from room to room and to govern all
the movements of the scholars about the build
ing.
1t scarcely needs mentioning how useful it
would be in the case of fires, panics, or other
disturbances that are likely TO occur in any
school building. A good knowledge of military
drill would give the teachers confidence in
their ability to handle their pupils in any
emergency like those which too frequently &C.
cur to our crowded school rooms; and it would
also give the pupils a reciprocal confidence in
their teachers, which could not fail to be adj
vantageous.
1t would require no more time to teach the
rudimcnts of Upton's drill than is now required
to familiarize the pupils with the methods en-
ployed in taking classes from the recitation to
the study room, etc, and scholar who had had
the benefits of few minutes daily training in
this drill would not only be healthier, stronger
and more graceful throughout hislife, butshould
an emergency arise to call him into military
service-to serve in the militia in time of in
surrection, or as an actual soldier in the field
he could much more speedily be made a valuable
soldier than if he had not had this preliminary
training. In reality this training of moving
struction in craftsmanship, all that is essential
in the drill of soldier The manual of arms,
to gain familiarity with which takes up SO
much time, is of comparatively little account,
being mainly coxcombery for show on the pa
radc and other occasions of ceremony. The
main thing, especially in the present state of
military tactics, is the teaching of men to
move in unison with one another, and if we
could make it part of the training of our
common schools familiarizing the scholars
with the words of command and the move
ments that follow in obedience to those COM
mands, we would accomplish very much
towards fitting him for soldier.
Every one who went through the recent
war will remember with sadness how much
valuable time was consumed in teaching grown
men this portion of the drill, which they could
much better have been taught at the younger
and formative period of their lives.
We hope that there viii be a general interest
taken in this matter. A great many of our
readers are trustees of schools, and otherwise
in position TO exert an influence in shaping
the course of education, and we feel that
merely mentioning this thing to them will
show them its necessity, and they will at once
exert themselves to introduce the teaching of
tactics wherever it is practicable for it to be
done.