The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-06-10
wHENTHE SCHOOL AGE SHOULD BEGIN.
Children Are Too Early Sent from Their
Mothers Care, Say the Doctors.

Just at what age children should be placed in
school. remarked wellknown physician yester-
day, has been . subject Of serious debate, not
only to parents but also to teachers. as we'll
When the little ones should be put out of the
hands of the mother aud into the hands Of the
teacher and started through the long channel
Of school work. il o question Of Importance, and
one upon which neither teachers nor philoso-
pliers agree. ''Dr. G. W. Chancellor. secretary Of
the State Board of Health Of Maryland" the doc
tor continued, Says that philosophy marks
plainly the begin ming Of the eighth year rs the
time for the beginning of school life, and here
is the way he reasons about il: The symmet-
rical proportions of both body aud head are
reached during the eighth year, and remain sta
tionary after that time. The rate of mortality
during the first six years OF life is 5l.28 per
cent. or leaving out the first two years
of life. as it would not be fair to reckon
the feebeness Of infancy. the mortality is. ac
cording to Summarizing. Ills per cent For the
next six years of life it is only l. 5 per cent.
thus showing that greatly increased power of
resistance, greatly diminished sus-
ceptibiity to noxious impressions is attained
about the seventh or eighth year. Now il that
clan, il he has given this matter any study,
knows that it is, believe the system of schools
that allows child TO start in at six and in
many cases before. is wrong. and not IN accord
ance with nature as it should be. My idea is
and that is the idea believe. Of all true educa-
tors-that the laws of nature ought first to be
ascertained in regard to physical and mental de-
velopmsnt. and then our system of education
adapted to it. Our school system is very phil
osophically arranged in frst-class schools so far
as the mental side is concerned, but hardly
think so with regard to the physical"
Would you add another year, then, before
You would allow child to 60 to schooll' the
reporter asked.
thing TO do The American tendency to rush is
seen in its school system as in everything else.
This is . subject upon which much light can be
thrown by the medical prot ession. and one upon
which the Psychologists an. anatomist's opinion
IS of great value l notice that in Rhode Island
the State society has been considering the mat
ter and has declared in favor of admitting chill
dren at the seventh year, while the New York
Medical Legal Society fixes upon eight as the
proper time Other societies are on record in
the matter. as well as men of prominence in the
medical profession. This crowdine of children
into school in order to get them started, deceiv-
ing teachers, often. as to their is poor poll
cy on the part of any parent. aud fraughs with
evil to the child"
you would suggest. then, q change OF the
State law on the matterP
'Why, certainly. There is no use of rushing
children TO school at six years of age. a boy
who starts at eight will generally overtake in
the high school the one who begins at six Many
teVhers have observed that Right here think
Of another point Do you know that many Of
the worlds greatest men have never shown
any ability until well along In childhood yearsf
Isaac Newton was not above the average until
he reached the age OF twelve Sheridan the
dullest boy in school in his early years, and
Goldsmith Gibbon and Franklin never mani
tested any show of talent whatever in compari-
son with their achievements 10 the world until
nearly into their teens. Napoleon was fonder
of athletic sports than books Any number of
cases might be noted Of men who showed little
inclination to the mental and much to the phys
ical side OF life in early years. yet in the end
outstripped all their competitors"