The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-18
1.-THE ENp.l
SCHOOL ROOM EVILS.
Some Things That should Attract the
Attention OF Parents.

| Attention of Parents.
BROOKLYN, N. Y, Jan. 17.-There can
be no doubt that our common schools are
responsible for a great deal of physical
weakness and disease among the children
who attend them. What can we do about
| itl The children cannot be kept at home.
for there is no one at home to teach them,
and the child must, at least, know how to
read, write and CIPHER IL he Is to continue
to live in the world at all. A condition OF
mental Ignorance is supposed to be as bad
as a state of physical disease; with many il
is considered even worse, as is abundAntly
proved by the persistence with which many
parents insist upon their children attending
school even when the physical body makes
constant aud evident protest against the
process.
Granted, then, that kno Wedge Is desirable,
that it can be obtained only in school, and
that many Of the conditions Of the school
room arc such as to cause disease, what
shall be done about itl In the first place.
there should DO public sentiment in the
community against the appointment Of
teachers who are not qualified for their
business. This business Is not merely and
wholly the filling Of children's heads with
words, but, in some measure, the care of
children's bodies. Nothing is more essential
In the school room than sufficient
fresh air, yet in how many
school rooms is this great necessary
Of life properly supplied, even when ample
provision has been made for ventilation
There Is nothing so sure and so fatal as the
gradual poisoning Of children, shut up to-
gether in large masses. Judge of the effect
upon the average child Of inhaling for five
hours day for five days in the week the
impure exhalations from the bodies Of at
least twenty-five other children, and
when this number is increased to
seventy-hve or 100 as is very
often the case, the evil be-
comes only SO much the greater. Yet, sup
posing the teacher ignorant or careless OF
this matter, what is to be done thenl Well,
what would the ordinary mother do in her
own home IL she knew that her child was
slipping poison from some bottle left open
upon the sitting-room tablet Would not
her first instinct be- not to put him out of
the house, but to put the poison beyond his
reachl And it seems to me that the same
principle holds concerning the school.room.
/ can never rid myself Of the idea that it is
the business Of a mother to know something
of the conditions and surroundings OF
the place In which her child spends
the most OF his days. She should visit
the school room and become acquainted
with the teacher, just as much as she would
visit her nursery and know something of
the woman employed In 1t. If she finds
that the teacher is competent for the sacred
work she has undertaken, surely she will
experience sufficient satisfaction In the fact
10 amply pay her for the time and trouble
taken to make tho call. II she finds that
the reverse is the case, 1t is her imperative
business TO interfere. not only on behalf OF
her own child, but for the sake of all chill
dren. It is not only ventilation which
ought to be properly provided for in
the school room. No teacher is prepared
for her work, or can properly conduct
it unless she knows enough never to require
children to stand for long time or to sit
with folded arms. In addition 70 this mega
tive knowledge she should certainly know
enough, at least, about physical exercises,
to be able to give simple muscular move
ments to the children, not only for the
physical development which they are en-
titled to receive at her hands, but as relief,
rest, and recreation during the necessarily
cramped positions and tedious hours
of the most comfortable school room.
Suppose each mother in a given COM
munity should feel this to be her duty, how
long would the slaughter Of the innocents be
tolerated as it is going on to-day in
thousa eds of school roomsl What can
mothers be thinking OF when they shIrk all |
personal responsibility in these most import |
ant affairs, even when they fully under |
stand The unprincipled part played by un- !
scrupulous politicians in all pertaining to |