Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-10-29
noARD DE rpnch1Ion.
How to Discipline Pupils - A Matter
Which Puzzles School board.

Which Puzzles School Board
The unpropitlous weather did not
prevent large attendance at the Board
of Education meeting Monday night and
considerable business was transacted.
The committee in charge of school No.
8 asked permission from the board to
which was granted. Mr.. O'Donnell's
motion to place railing in No. Is
school and make other expenditures
was adopted. Heating apparatus was
ordered put in No. IL school without
further delay.
Mr. Baynard in behalf Of school No.
5 moved that the bill of the Wilmington
Excavating Company of $7766 be al
lowed. The member from the Sixth
ward stated that payment of the bill had
been suspended until now in order that
the expense might be looked into, but he
would now move the bill be finally
passed, which was done.
Joseph Pyle's motion that check for
81 600 be drawn in favor of William j.
Brown, contractor of No. 81 school was
seconded and eventually passed.
The matter of OBTAINING children in
the primary and grammar schools, on
which action was deferred at the last
meeting, came up again for discussion
on Monday and the subject was talked
OF at length. Drs. Shortlidge and Nor
gan disapprovcd of the plan to keep
children in at the noon hour for various
trivial things which they had done, on
the ground that it was injurious to the
pupils health.
Superintendent Harlan's views were
asked upon the subject, and that gentle
man asked that the board not curtail
the power Of teachers in this connec-
ton altogether, as it was part of the
discipline needed, and if such were
abolished there would be no way of
securing the desired standard wanted
by these schools.
President Baird stated that he had
seen as many as II children detained in
one school at one time during the
noon hour. He thought better discre-
ton should be used by teachers in keep.
ing children in, and that detention for
trivial charges should not be resorted TO.
Messrs. Trump and Ross were in
favor of the detention at noon hour as a
means of preventing disorder or any
fiuidtiOu VI tnG IuleS ltlu uOWn inc
children might make.
A resolution pa ed at a former meet
ing was subsequently amended by the
board so that it now provides that no
children in the primary schools be de-
tanned longer than ID minutes during
the noon hour and 30 minutes in the
grammar school.
AT this juncture an interval OF 10
minutes was takcn hv the board to
allow q represen ii the Electric
Signal Clock Company Of Wayncsboro,
Pa, to detail the movements and advan-
tages of signal clock, with the hope
that it might be adopted by the board for
use In the high school. The cost of the
clock was estimated at $l'i5, with a
guarantee for one year. The clock is
designed to ring automatically the class
periods in the school, which would
otherwise be sounded by pushing an
electric button.
An agent was present to testify to the
merits of the clock and Joseph Pyle
moved that the board purchase the
clock for the high school. Professor
Berlin stated that the clock would be q
great advantage at the high school and
IN answer TO Mr.. Smiths question, said
that the period clock would save one
hour of the principals time during the
day, time that otherwise would be de-
voted to the attention of the students.
DR.. Shortlidge moved that the matter be
laid over for one month, which motion
was adopted.
Mr.. O'Donnell stated that q flag rails
ing would take place at No. 25 school
on October Goth and an invitation was OK
tended to the members of the board to
be present.
Mr.. Trump moved that the condition
of the chimney on top the building be
referred to the proper committee to have
the same repaired. The chimney was in
dangerous condition Mr.. Trump said
and was liable to fall over on the presi-
dent of the board and he thought it not
improbable that if the chimney was left
in the present dangerous condition some
of the members Of the board would
soon be taken out dead from the meet
ing 1t was decided to repair the chimney.