Wichita eagle., 1889-03-28
WOMEN on THE SCHOOL BOARD.


desirability OF having women appointed
jointly with men On the board Of educa-
ton is, from a conservative point of view
even, being discussed with great unfair
ness. That any one should consider 1t
their duty to fly into mock heroics. or wild
ure which is in itself natural and and not
revolutionary, seems absurd so long as
women are employed as teachers. The po-
sition of a member of the school board
should no more political one than the
presidency of missionary society, and a
body which is to regulate the affairs, d.
rectly affecting the interests of both men
women is as incomplete with
ont the feminine element as 1t
would be were it composed wholly OF
CT women and lacked the masculine Judg-
ment The mere fact of the existence OF a
system which had remained unchanged
for years, argued nothing for the 1nfalh-
bility of that system, as the note OF warn
ing sounded in the March Forum by the
Cardinal Manning plainly indicates his
quotation from different writers OF learn
ing and position being powerful indlct-
ment against the evils of the whole system.
Mrs. Clara V. Colby in reviewing the ar
ticle in question: "In justice to women
who have sat peaceably by and let the men
get the school system into the slough, 1t
should be said that their whole training
public" control was no affair OF
theirs. To get the little ones oil
punctualiy in the morning to call
after them the oft repeated admonltlon
Now don't be late, or you'll get bad
mark" was the sum total OF her duty TO
the school. Is it any wonder that alter
century of such political instruction, en-
forced by that unanswerable argument
that to concern herself with public affairs
would be to get ''out of her sphere" she
has come to be largely Indifferent to the
management of the schools, unthlnk1ng as
to their evils, and to regard them as con-
venient means of shifting from herself
tiresome responsibility during many hours
of the day.
That the schools of our city have been as
wisely managed as was possible under the
circumstances has never been ques-
toned. To do SO indeed, would be
doing injustice to the good aud
conscientious men who have devoted time
and energy to their management, but 1t
would be equally foolish to say that there
was no room for improvement, and the
feminine Judgment, the feminine intuition
and understanding, is without doubt the
element needed to perfect progress toward
the highest degree OF excellence, which
should characterize the institutions where
our children spend more than half their
young lives.
pupils progress along the "royai road"
to learning is not to be Judged alone by
the number of text books he carries, for
there are many things TO be taught which
ore not contained in books. While the
father clement of the school board con-
Germs itself principally with the
financial questions, the cost OF
things the number OF teachers
employed, text books used. etc, etc. the
mother" element would be perhaps main
Ii rod ha oth ioal unn nt M
and the many little essential things, which
the largeness of the masculine mind some
times overlooks, but which help to make a
harmonious completeness of the govern
ment of any institution. The proneness Of
men and women to reject any new idea
although the idea is not new really, will
perhaps render it necessary that women
themselves should help bring about the
union of fathers and mothers on the school
board by availing themselves of the man
given privilege of the ballot this. under
the existing circumstances, (the dirt, aud
smoke, and general vileness and dlsreput-
ableness of the place of registry, and the
polls as so plainly set forth
in recent article of the
EAGLE) is to be deplored, but let it be
hoped that the rather pessemistic view of
the writer of that article, is not the truest
one.
A woman reed not spend much time in
expressing her views, beliefs or wishes In
regard to the men or women who are to
regulate the greater part OF the govern
ment of her children. The writer of this
has wasted time, and nervous force and
energy enough in the soliciting and can
wasting incident to so-called church (O
work, to have governed an empire. and
yet kept her family fairly well mended
and darned at the same time.
To set ones face as flint against progress
in so vital matter as that which
concerns the children OF the
community, their physical and
intellectual, and, higher than all, their
moral education savours of an obstinate
disregard of the signs of the times, and
the needs of the hour, only TO be equaled
by the sentiments of Bourbonism in some
remote village of the south. when the in
habitants have not mingled with the grow
ing world enough to realize that the war,
and the circumstances which brought il
about have been over a quarter of a cen
fury. The poor jokes about the husband
trying to quiet the colicky baby while the
wife and mother is off with a meeting of
the school board. and so on, ad nauseum,
is no argument at all and does not deserve
the dignity of reply; there is per
haps no law which compels the board
of education to meet after night; men fire.
quently take time during the day to attend
to matters of less Importance.
Let every thoughtful woman and man
look at this @, 4stion fairly from all sides.
remembering that it is not question of
whether the schools have been managed
well by the direction of men alone. but
whether they may not be managed better
by the JOINT counsel of men and women.
5. TOLER.