Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-01-23
.F,tCATED TO DEATH.
The Evils of Over-Cranmming in Public
Schools Illustrated.

Schools Illustrated.
Ten million children are educated in
the public schools of the United States
at an annual expense OF nearly one
hundred million dollars.
In every respect these figures are as
tonishing. They show how literally
the palladium Of our liberties" as the
Fourth of July orator always calls the
school system, is supported, and also
that it includes nearly onc-tifth of our
total population.
These figures may well attract atten-
ton, and especially that OF parents. 1t
is the most natural thing in the world
that in such a vast system there should
be constant emulation and rivalry not
only between scholars. but scholars
and teachers, to surpass every other
school.
In this lies a great danger. that of ed
ucating the children to death. The re-
cent exposition by the York pa Daily
of the amount crammeu bvrote into the
children in that town is one instance
out of thousands. and no one can doubt
that the dry facts given to the York
scholars would produce mental indi-
gestion in grammar-school children
and tax their abilities too far. In tho
daily papers OF this very week in which
the York story is printed appears an
account of a bright young girl of
Brooklyn, who was ambitious to be the
head of her school. Encouraged by
fond but silly parents, she worked con-
s%tantly, gained her aim and has Just
become an intellectual and physical
wreck. The other case is that Of a boy
who succeeded in all of his studies but
one-Latin; for failing in which both
his teachers and father reproved him.
70 say further humiliations to him
self, and any repetition of his fathers
action. he was accustomed to steal out
of bed in the dead OF night. and apply
himself to his Latin until the gray
streaks of dawn warned him of til
danger OF. being discovered in his I'M
d%crtaking. As a consequence the lads
nervous system gave way under the
strain, and though he succeeded in his
object, it is a serious question with his
doctors whether he will ever be re.
stored to ever tolerable health.
Are not these instances enough to IL.
lustrate the evil OF over examining in
the public schools; or if they are not
enough can they not be supplemented
in the experience OF any reader?
Fathers who think first of their
monev-making and mothers who think
first Of social duties too often neglect
the first of all duties-that to the chill
dren-and in this neglect comes the
strain of the schools. Every father
and mother should see that their chill
dren are not forced to study too hard.
Above all they should use their ini1u-
ence to do away with the pernicious
habit of study at home. Ovcrwork is
the great complaint Of Americans.
When it comes to having o~ver-worked
children the prospect is terrible for the
future. We have too many diseases
incidental to modern life" and of these
many are %traceable directly to the pub
lie school. They educate the chill
dren to death, and instead of demand
ing more studies or moro time for study
every man and woman who has a child
at school should try to see that the sys-
TEN be so modified that the poor
children shall only need to study not
much more than half the time they dc
now. and that will be almost too much
for the little ones.-Phladelphiu News.