The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-02-25

tilc ciitiiC bubJeCb tllh1 tlLlltu heni
his article to your Issue OF Tuesday,
which he headed. THE Conduct OF
Schools Let us look for q moment
ut his complaints. First, that the
children are not allowed to coDRregate
near the school before the opening
hour Well, why should they? Such
n congregation would only annoy
those who live near the school and who
hold the teacher responsible for nll the
dirt or marks the children put on the
steps or fences for squares away.
Another reason for such prohibition
is, MS children are promo TO disagree
on various and many subjects, they
are apt to quarrel and fight, and every
man VINO has ever been school boy,
knows how easily II boy can get into
fighting humor. And again, during
such weather ns we are supposed to
have In Winter, surely any child would
be safer II sent from home at such
an hour as to reach the school by quar-
ter OF nine Or two. and not sooner.
We have seen children with their
hooks waiting near the schoolhouee as
early as T.30 In tho morning. 1t seems
Go us that mother with a proper re-
gard for tho welfare OF her darling
would desire to keep 1t as long as pos
6ible under her own eye, and not have
IL exposed either to the heat OF Sum
lner or the cold and storms of Winter,
by allowing it to he one OF a congIe-
CATION that congregates before the
opening hour"
As to his second charge; The drop
ping OF one pencil Is in itself trilling
ofiense, but suppose each child In the
room were to drop a pencilA confusion
would be the result. Have you an idea
that, II Mary should drop her pencil
accidentally and receive no punish
ment for it, that john, being In an idle
mood, would drop his for fun, and
then Tom would do the same thing
and disorder would DO the result?
Therefore some punishIpent must be
given the first offender, oven though
the act were caused by carelessness.
Carelessness should always be pun
ished, or 1t will In time grow into
crime.
Thirdly his little girl did not get
her coat on in time and was therefore
kept in. Every child knows when the
teacher gives the signal to put on
wraps, but aS you well know, some
one thing when they should be doing
another. Enough time is given for
every pupil to get his or her things
on II they will do SO as soon as told.
III this is done, order will be the result,
but IL Mary looks around awhile, and
Kate stops to whisper second, and
Bridget has few words with her
neighbor, disorder will follow and
with II must come the penalty for IL,
otherwise the teachers authority is
lost.
Fourthly: Tho water closet question
has long been an agltated one and
friend, listen: As long as children ask
TO go out when they do not need to
go, as long as they ask to go out to
avoid their lessons, as long as they ask
to go out for no other purpose in the
world than TO spin tops, play marbles
or because the boy in front asked to
go, Just SO long will the teacher be
justified In not allowing him 10 20.
Let tho mothers teach their children
regular habits, and this cause for sup
posed iil-treatment will vanish. These
same children who find ii necessary to
stop the teacher two or three times u
day and ask that troublesome ques-
ton, May | 20 out!n could sit in
church or In any public place and
never think of leaving.
OF course there are exceptions to all
rules, and the true teacher recognizes
them; but order she must have or her
entire work will be failure, and this
going out business is highly produc-
tive OF extreme disorder. Would il
kliiioy you II you were listening TO
lecturer and dozen people or more
should get up, go out and come in
again In close proximity to your We
think we SEQ you frowning at them,
II would disturb the thought You are
trying 70 caleh; So such getting up
a1,u EiS = sffinl SgsrrnITIrT dTsIn,I,4 Inn
thought the teacher is endeaYorlng to
give.
: Then Citizen says. "Our teachers
don't seem to know that they arp paid
by the taxpayers to serve us we'll as
ruiz"
Paid by the taxpayers to serye!n
Well. that sentence should make an
angel weep ii that Celestial being
could know just how little some tax
payers" pay and how much they ex-
pect for their money, and how poorly
paid in comparison with the amount
OF serving that is required of her is
the earnest, conscientious teacher
Citizens call them school marin; we
will attribute that expression to his
limited vocabulary. Perhaps he heard
his grandfather use it.
Now, Mr. Citizen, remember this;
"Our teacher5' are true, loyal women,
who do more than their share of train
ing the children of this beautiful city.
Has one Of them seemed to you to
have been too severe on your child?
Then go to her and not TO the news
paper
Perhaps that darling of yours has
not given a straight account of the
affair; get tho teachers side Of the
story before you send TO the public a
mixed up article on school marlns, and
pencils and coats and water closets
and taxpayers and ruling and serving,
etc. should think YOU would feel
like getting down on your knees and
begging the pardon 81 every one 81
sour teachers for thus making them
the subject of newspaper article say
ing such unfavorable things about
them.
Do not get the idea, Citizen, that I
am one of that noble band you desig.
nate as ''schood marms," for as YOU
will see, II you look at my Lame, Lam
not; neither does any one belonging TO
me fill that honorable position.
neither sister, cousin nor sweetheart.
Did the last, while honored the work
In which she served, l would so de-
spise some of the taxpayers for whom
'ehe served as to do my best to rescue
her from such serving.
Yours very truly,
MoaRIs CAMERON.