Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-12-08
GERMAN SCHOOL DISCIPLINE.
DR.. J. VI. Rice Found n Lack of sympn-
thy Between Teachers and Pupils.

DR.. J. VI. Rice Found n Lack of Sympl-
thy Between Teachers and Pupils.
p-sNa pA~-. ~e. e.- ss~sn - sno-1
careful Etudy OF the public school sys-
tenn OF the United States, writes Sn art
icle GA school Excursions in Germany"
for The century. In the course of his
paper he describes one excursion on
which he was a guest made by the Ped
ngogical Seminary AT Jena through the
Luther country. in connection with a
study of the Reformation. The follow
ing is the result Of his observations dur
ing the expedition:
The spirit manifested during the
journey was in full accord with tho
physical features. Indeed, lack Of
sympathy on the part of the teachers
was r characteristic phase Of the tour.
As for the boys. although they en-
dured the physical hardships with
scarcely n murmur. their behavior in
other directions showed a complete lack
of manliness. Nor did The feeling OF
good-fellowship exist. Ia many of
them the tears were always near the
surface, and they were shed in profu-
sion on the slightest provocation. Ii a
boy happened TO take the smallest lib
erty with II Of his companions, the
affair wa seldom passed over good
naturedly, the usual result being either
a CRYING spell or = flow Of abusive
words. One of the pupils wept long
and bitterly simply because some n
had called him a shoemaker. Worst OF
all. petty spats arising among the pu.
pills were seldom settled by themselves.
sooner or later the tale of woe was car.
ried TO one of the teachers, and the lat.
ter not infrequentiy brought affairs TO
n close By boxing the ears of one of the
boys. it mattered little which. No at
tempt was made by the teachers 10 cure
the children Of their ba~byishness, and
tattling was always encouraged. Once
a boys mental equilibrium was dis
turbed. he tecame sullen. and remained
aloof from the others for hours. As i'll
humor on the part of a few pupils natu-
rally reacted on the other members OF
the party. the prevailing feeling during
the journey was n OF gloom. Again,
in the evening when the boys were
tired, nothing was done to atford them
pleasure. Aud when, after retiring,
children were found who failed prompt.
ly to fall asleep. their restlessness, which
was most likely due to exhaustion, was
put down by the teachers as unruliness.
and they received as an anodyne a box
on the ears.
Although the spirit and the physica'
features of the described journey may
not meet with our approval, it is clear
that its suggestive value. from tho
standpoint OF intellectual development,
is in no way affected by the former. In
themselves the German methods are not
an.agonistic to sympathy. Is not. for
example. the kindergarten-the institu-
ton which above all fosters helpfuiness,
love. and sympathy creation of Ger
many! And are not our progressive
schools Astounding in sympathy. while
their system of instruction is founded
on theories evolved by German cducat-
o-s? In a word, as it has been shown
In so many directions That when Ger
MAJ educational theories are planted in
American soil. the fruit begins to APP
preach the ideal, is il not reasonable II
suppose that the same would be true il
regard to the school excursions?