The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-21


Bosroy. Jan 2O.-The city OF Boston IA about
| to try new and novel method OF disciplininR
refractory school children. Although Boston
we'll deserves the reputation for culture and
superiority in intellectual attachments which
her people enjoy. II must be confessed TINT
some OF her school children-about A hundred
out o! total Of 55.l95 who attend public
| schools-will hook jack" every little while.
Some are incorrigtble truAnts. and they have
been Disciplined In the Truant School at Deer
Island. the city's dumping ground for drunk
ards and criminals whose offences are termed
inisdemeanors. The prisoners are assorted ac-
cording to the nature Of the crimes for which
they have been committed. and the truants
| are classed with vicious and immoral young
reprobates who have been sent to the Reform
School a. punish msnt for petty crimsa
This association OF mischievous boys with
really bad boys has worried the members Of
the School Board. who could see In It only
great and permanent injury TO the'youngstsrs.
whose only offence WAS. perchanoe, . greater
fonduess for baseballithAn for compiler frao.
tions. Tho influence was all one.sided. The
School Board needed no statistics to convince
them that tho echoolboy's character Was
smirched BY his association with the criminals
| Of Deer Island. chat his self-respect was lost.
and that HE downward course was almost Ger.
tain TO follow his release. The Judges hcsi-
tate to send tho mischievous youngsters to
this island and the boys are smart enough to
see the advantage which the situation holds
out to them.
Bet there is to bs no more temporfnins.
TrIanov Is to be eliminated from Boston
schools as far rs it Is possible to secure such
| result The boy who hooks jack" 10 to bo
punished but In such manner that the pun.
.shment will bear good fruit instead OF bad.
Unless the boy Is absolutely depraved he will
be benefited BY his stay at the Truant SCHOOL,
He will be surrounded by influences that will
tend to make man Of him instead OF Grim
ina!. The new institution is to be q parental
school to prevent crime. and not a reform
school to cure crime. The name Parental
School" Is in itself suggestive Of the char.
acter OF the institution. It is to be q homo for
the boy where Ito will be under absolute
authority and. at the Same time. his surround
ings will be elevating. Almost every out
ward form OF restraint Is to be abolished.
There will DO no bolted doors and grated
windows: no guards to remind the boys con-
tinualy that they are in prison.
Tho Parental School is to be on tho cottage
system. which has been tried so successfully
in connection with other public institutions.
A tract Of land is to be purchased In an outly-
ing part of the city on which are to be erected
two large buildings and as many cottages as
the necessities may require. The School
Board has in mind an estate OF about eight
acres in area in the extreme western part Of
the city. on the Charles River. near tho Ded.
| ham limo. 1t is about eight miles from the
City Hall. The section is the country district
Of the city. md is built upon so little that all
| distant.
S pa1 .6s
there will be no further opposition to 1t. build
IS psn
y ia be % T@e
Sss q aJS IT,: T.
n the nmbe6 at tho
brick ior the sehoolrooms and workshop: The
s tb fSus
workshop Is to occupy most of one door and is
to DO fitted up as complete manual training
school In the building Is to be small hall
Grouped around the two central buildings
dormitories. By the cottage plan. 50 called.
the boys can be graded better according to
IL
wrong doing. and It is expected that better re-
bs ss1 Ss oSnns ses hF than HoS s
tass can accommo date about Thirty boys. and
little home is to have its own houss
dnns saGh is
cooked in one kitchen and carried BY the boys
tothe buildings.
ton. indoors and out OF doors, There VIII be
apd to supply ths Shoo with
EnowodSs Of So M well as P Ss VsT
branches o. Te5E Which moY
Thers Ds viii be plenty Of hard Wort. and no
shirkinC will be allowed. While the projectors
| n ODti hat hal
be 50 attractive that ne youngsters viii play
tEuant for the sole pHEpose Of being sent to
10 te@pt the T The Sc ssho oS nf IL,
10 be sfnaty w Spd net sol reward snad
The strength Of the bows I from the mnats they
the ft 's e sanas %tS
dread; and to tho discharge with pleasure:
ihat may eter boys s" from sena
astIay 1t is hoped that the school will thus
pre- to w
make them self,respccting citizens. To this
end the boys will in N measure E be put upon
bars. nor bolts. Experience has shown that
that is the best way to prevent such boys from
trusted to oT That extent " ~ 'a''0 " 'eS
The system Of truant industrial schools has
| as the results can BIO EXPRESSED in figures The
average length Of detention has been s mi, ninety
mit.sI 10 tho ten truam schools. in Great
| Britain. 613s. or nearly 10 per cent. were re-
| leased in three months time permanently
| cured: i. p. thcy have never been arrested
| again for tuancy. In six months time IS per
| cent. are permanently saved. and IN a period OF
nine nv ont IS 30 ner Gent. arc saved to society.
polling the city 6fs Boston to estab lish school
Tor the detention OF truants. apart from other
| reformatories. but ow ing to differences be:
| tween the School Bonrd and other branches Of
! the City Government. action has been post
| poned until the present year.
| IIauG-JudsOn.