River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-10-24
School Government.

The first requisite of the best govern
ment of school is that the teacher have
Il clear notion of what it is for. It's i'm
mediate purpose is to maintain the or
ganization of the school by holding every
individual member to the proper per-
Torrance Of his duty as a member of it.
In this view the teacher is as much sub
ject to its laws as the pupils. 1t IS a
vicious doctrine that the teachers will
determines the law of the school. On
the contrary the teachers will must be
subject to the law Of the school. The
law must be enforced in order that the
work of the school can be properly done
The teacher is there to enforce it against
his own and his pupils impulses to VIC
late it. Hence the necessity that the
teacher shall have attained to the power
and habit of self-control. But while the
immediate purpose of school government
is to secure the necessary conditions for
the mastery of the branches taught, the
chief end of it is the moral education Of
the child. This point needs to be put
strongly 1t is through the proper adj
ministration of school government that
the child forms the habit of self-control
and natures a disposition to obey law.
What have been called the cardinal
school virtues" of regularity and plGnctu-
atty in the discharge of all school duties,
of industry, of silence, of giving to every
one his due, of treating all with kindness
and courtesy, are the great moral in
fuences of the school and do even more
than the knowledge of the branches to
fit the pupil for citizenship. The teacher
who sees all this will see that school gov
eminent is not a matter of his own
aprice, the laws of which are his own
making, but is something infinitely above
that, efiecting the future well-being of
the child. By this view the kind hearted
teacher who loves her pupils, and would
avoid giving them pain, is strengthened
to maintain a proper discipline even at
the expense of some pain, for the ulti-
mate good of the child.
Having formed an adequate estimate
OF what the government of the school
should do for the child, the next i'm
portant question is how to enforce it. Our
first important junction is, be kindly in
earnest, and avoid IN apologize attitude
toward the children. Never apologize
for doing anything right Show to them
that the requirement is reasonable and
ought to be obeyed. The child is more
than half conquered when his own con-
viction is on your side. But it is whole
some for children to know that obedience
is expected and must be given; but don't
be in too much of hurry in important
cases. Promptness in matters well I'M
derstood is necessary. But cases often
arise in which time is an important ele-
ment in securing obedience, An obedi-
ence that is not in accord with conviction
is Of little educational worth.
The next injunction is, do not attempt
to treat all children alike" There was
never greater misconeeption than that
a company of children are to be thrown
into one hopper and ground out by the
same process. In the matter of govern
ment it is especially important that each
pupil be made an object of special study,
and treated in the light Of his disposition,
his home training, his intelligence, and
his age.-George p. BrO1Cn IN Public Sch.
To9frn0I