The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-10-10
WHAT THEY STUDY.
Is knowledge Being "Crammed'
in the SchOOlS2
List of the Regular Course of Study and the
Sample Of Home Work" Given to-
Scholars After School Hours.

course of studies was too complex. and not
only that. but that so much was required OF
the pupils that it necessitated the establish
ment of feature known as " home study,
requiring a daily application after school
hours Of from one to two and a half hours
hard-study at home.
The complaints were so numerous and
came from so many sources, and all were so
evidently sincere, that notice was taken OF
them, and for several days the columns OF
THE CALL, some few weeks ago, were
given over to a discussion and investigation
Of the subject.
PERSONAL OBSERVATION.
The publication in THE CALL, instead Of
lessening the volume OF cOmplainst, only
served TO increase it, and a reporter was
detailed to make a personal tour OF the
schools, observe the methods of education
employed, inquire into the length OF the
studies the various topics taught, and also
how much time the pupil was required to
put into study at home. Pupils at various
schools were interviewed, as well as many
teachers aud principals.
1t developed that there were two systems
of "home studies" in vogue. One was
punishment study IN cases where
scholar had not applied himself diligently
during schOol-hOurs, or for OLher reasons,
stint of studies" was given him to pore
over at home These "punishmentS' were
and are still being inflicted for various
reasons. Thus, in the case of the fourth
grade in the Washington Grammar School,
not long ago a whole class of boys was
given a big lump of nome work to 90,
because" as the teacher said, 1.-THE class
had been very noisy and had not acquitted
itself creditably."
To MAKE THEM "sHINE."
The other system Of home study, and one
that is followed even in the primary grades,
where by rule of the Board Of Education,
il is strictly prohibited, is to impose an eX-
ira task on the scholar for the purpose of
making him or her shine in some paTtlcu-
lar study.
These home studies" comprise everything
taught in school. Compositions are re-
Qured to be written; long list of words,
twenty-five and fifty in number, are given
10 tie pupils to copy off, as exercises IN or
biography, to learn their detinit Uns and
pronunciations and the proper division of
the syllabeS. They are given list Of, say
twenty, nouns, and told to return them with
the pOsSeSsives added and apOstrOphes IN
proper places. They are given abStIuse
sums in arithmetic to solve, puzzles in geos-
raphy and physiology, aud hosts OF others.
and this, too, to children ranging from 10 TO
Ii years Of age.
THE RULE VIOLATED.
In the case Of examples in mathematics,
rule of the board expressly fOrbids these
being submitted to scholars IN the fourth
and fifth grades as "hOme Studies" But
schools in the city.
One of the principals. a lady. stated, in
lengthy interview, that the fault lay not IN
the complex course of studies followed, but
in individual teachers who lacked judgment.
They were either DESTROYS OF having certain
scholars "Shine," or were ambitious to eS-
t1biish q proficiency in certain branches OF
study.
THE LOWER GRADES.
The course of study of the San Francisco
public schools, she thought, could not be
improved upon, at least so far as the
primary and lower grammar grades were
concerned The main object in these
grades, beyond which the majority of school
children never went was to make pupils
proficient in ordinary reading, writing spell
ing and arithmetic. The other studies, such
as object lessons, drawiok, music, etc, while
compulsory, yet occupied comparatively
little time. and we're of benefit, as Offering
variety. History was read TO scholars IN
these grades, the common rules OF DOlteneSs
were taught them almost imperceDtlbly. and
at the expenditure Of hut little time from
the more important studies.
She knew there was examining" prac-
ticFd in very many OF the grades even, and
pupils were compelled to take home OuerOus
tasks, but the fault, she held, lay with the
teachers, not with tie system. The eXcep-
tiOns if any, she said, existed In the finish
Ing grades and in the primary schools,
where the course Of study involved taxed
4 fatguing system of home" and latter
hours" study in order to fit the pupils for
examination to higher grades or for gradu-
alton.
EXEMPTED GRADES.
The rules of the Board of Education, as
laid down in the matter of home studieS,'
copy of which every teacher has, are that
pupils in grades below the fourth are to be
exempt from them. In grades four and five
home study" involving not over an
hours application is permissible; in grades
six and seven an hou7 and half is fixed as
the Emit, and IN grade eight two hours.
The high schools are not llmit'd by rules
in the matter Of home studies" for it is a
matter Of impossibility, considering the eX-
tent and complex nature of the graduating
course, to regulate it. Arithmetic, by another
rule is prohibited this year from the list OF
"home studies" in the fourth and fifth
grades.
Tie rules are being violated, however,
every day, both as regards the time limit
and arithmetic
THEIR HEALTH INJURED.
In the sixth grade of one of the boys
grammar schools certain pupil is made to
do n task at home every day that involves
study Of from two and half to three and
half hours. The pupil, as consequence, IS
in frall health. This is but one OF a dozen
similar instances in the grammar schools
and was related to the reporter by the
principal of one Of the schools, whose parti-
CuaI friend the mother Of the boy is.
1t may be puzzing question for teachers
and principals in some Of the higher-grade
grammar schools TO answer, whence come
all the fiue specimens OF drawing and de-
signing by scholars exhibited with pardon
able pride on the bulletin boards Of these
schools? The work involves a vast ex-
pendituTe Of time and thought. Is 1t taken
from other more needful and practical
studies, or is the desire to ''show off " so
great al to demand that the pupils, after an
exhausting day OF study in school, should
work at home to make these elaborate
displays?
SPECIMEN TASK.
In the sixth grade at the Filbert-street
School several boys and girls seen by The
CALL reporter said that they were given
''home studies" almost every day, ranging
from two to two and a half hours. These
home tasks comprise questions IN geOgra-
ply, history, grammar and physiology and
exercises in writing, spelling and compost
ton.
One boy said that only the night before he
had been given an example in arithmetic re-
garding the size of field of stated dimen-
sioas and the number of blocks Of wood Of
a certain size il would contain. This boy
was IL years old, and the problem was one
that would puzzle many grown man.
Another, a little girl, said that she had
bern given one very similar as q home
study" but" she gleefully remarked. II
got MY big brother to do il"
OTHER EXAMPLES.
In the same school one boy of twelve was
given as home study the task of writing
composition on commas, to read and MEM
Orize a page Of physical geography and
make double list Of twenty-five words, as
an exercise in photography and writing
Asked how long he was at II, he answered,
It'll bed time, and then l didn't finish"
Another boy was furnished for his nome
study" list OF twenty nouns, and told to
prepare for the following day these nouns
in the pOssessiYe.
One of the girls in the third grade in the
Grecnwich-street School says that she fire.
quently gets examples in arithmetic for
'home study" She always gets her mother
to help her out.
In some OF the schools the pupils are re-
quired TO purchase Decent memorandum
books, involving, Of course, the expense of
lead pencil, in which examples in arith-
metic are worked out. In olden days a slate
and pencil were good enough.
In the seventh grade Filbert street
School, the ''home study" list comprises ex-