Evening star., 1895-04-29
Halliday Schools.
10 the Editor Of The Evening Star:


If Taxpayer No. 2. in quoting from the
report of the superintendent what he says
about halliday schools. intends to in
dorse the superintendent's Conclusions. Tax
payer No. is compelled to differ from
him.
But are there any real, valid objections
to what are termed halliday schools? :?
If there are. what are they?
The children in the three lower grades
of our schools are presumed to be in the
sixth or seventh or eighth year of their
age and not in their twelfth year, as in
timated by the superintendent.
The only plausible reason offered Is, in
the language Of the superintendent, ITO
give lad of twelve opportunity to attend
school three and a, half hours day, know
ing well that he will spend the rest of his
time on the streets, is robbery Of the boy's s
time and damage to society"
In the first place. the third-grade pupils
are not supposed to be over eight years old
instead of twelve, nor the fourth grade
over nine. But parents are responsible for
their sons when the school is not in ses-
sion, so that they are the real robbers
of their boys time If they allow them to
waste it on the streets. But If boy should
happen to spend two hours occasionally
on the street more than usual, how does
that endanger society? But it Is a demon
strated fact, which no intelligent and ex-
q
or girl has been properly taught for three
hours each day his physical and mental
powers need rest and change for the rest
of the day. While the child is properly and
effectively taught all the powers of his
mind should be exercised as intensely as
possible All teaching is like water split
upon the ground If the pupils mental fac
ulties are not fixed on the instruction
given.
No young. undeveloped mind can profta-
bly, listen intensely more than three hours
daily. How many adults, not to say chill
dren under eight years of age, would be
willing to sit three hours, even on the Sab
bath, and listen intently to a sermon or to
a lecture?
Is it natural is it reasonable to require
a young child to be immured five or six
close and poorly ventilated school room?
Neither his father nor his mother could
hardly be hired to do what they are will
ing their child should be compelled to do
for five or six hours day.
Again, it is a demonstrable fact that the
properly qualified teacher can in three
hours put as many new ideas into the mind
of a child from six to eight years of age
day.
But our school rooms should never be
converted into nurseries for small chill
dren nor into prison houses for boys on
the streets. The teacher of children has
no time for nursing babies, especially when
she has fifty of them. If she deals alike
with every pupil she cannot have over
five minutes daily to give her personal at
tention to each pupil
The school room is a place for mind
training and not for relieving parents of
the care of their children.
But the best argument in favor Of half
day schools Is that when young pupils
are properly taught for three hours each
day their Improvement is more satisfac-
tory than when they are taught five or
six hours daily. Even three hours is too
Wi in1c Of oha
for physical exercise singing, &c.
The special reason for introducing half
day schools in this city was the lack of
room for such new schools as 1t was neces-
sary to organize, SO. that one room might
be made to accommodate two schools each
day. "a
i have shown in previous article that
proper use of our present school-room ca
pacity would render 1t unnecessary to use
a school room twice each day, but any
way, three and a half hours each day is
enough for any of the three lower grades
1t would, however, be commendable econ
omy to use the same room for two schools
each day, when it can be done,
In fact, to call such schools halliday
schools is really nisnoner. for in them
is done all the work which ought to be
done daily by children under eight years
of age. Because they are called halliday
schools" many people get the idea that
only half as much Is done in them as il
what are called "whole-dayF schools" This
better work is done in them than in whole
day schools, when properly taught.
The laws of physiology and of psychol-
ogy, if rightly understood and exemplifed
show most decidedly that ''half-day
schools" for the three lower grades il
our city are better every way than whole.
day schools, but they must not be made
mere makeshifts. They should have the
best kind of teachers and the best kind OF
instruction. If this is done, no boy will
be necessarily robbed Of his time" noi
spend his time on the streets, to the danger
of society. TAXPAYER No. l.