The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-05-05
THAT TARDY BELL.


school houses, nor do they even pay
for the changing tardy-bells, which In
struments of torture, while shock
ing, destroys the nerves Of delicate little
girls and even unsettles the equilibri-
um of sturdy boys through an unwont-
ed tension of apprehension and unnec-
essary distraction. These school
marms and their coadjutors in panta-
looms, who in the name Of "disci-
pline." seek their own convenience
without reference to the mental and
physical welfare Of children, whose
best interests they are employed to con-
serve, do not pay the taxes which
cover the heavy expense required 10
maintain the public schools. They
do not own the children, nor even the
books out of which they are taught.
For five days out Of the seven, and for
less hours each day than the average
man and woman devOtes to the duties
Of life, these teachers supervise other
peoples children, until in many instan-
ces their supervision becomes dictation
which reaches not only the home-life
of the child, but the life of the parent
as well. Apparently much OF the
balance of their time is employed in
| deviSing schemes for rendering their
| duties less ardOrous, and in reaching
out for new strings to hold down their
jobs In the meanwhile that tender
1 oI,sT Inf rsfTIn
should become mere automatic mac
| hines, seems the least of their concern
And so the tardy-bell has been evolv-
ed, not in the interest of the child, not
/ for the comfort of the parent, but for
the convenience of the teacher, some
of whom have evidently come to think
that the public school system is main
tanned primarily for the purpose of
affOrding a soft place at good salary
for such as can successfully work the
board. With the average teacher it is
q more heinous offense for child to be
tardy than absent. 1t is a fact that
teachers in the public schools Of this
city, have said that they preferred that
than TO be tardy for as much as a SIN
gle minute, clearly demonstrating that
such teachers estimate of the educa-
tiOnal part of their work is of secon-
dairy consideration.
If these observations should prove
radical, or seemingly extreme to some
parents, they will not to a majority of
mothers and certainly not to any one
who has beheld, day by day, their own
flesh and blood worried into a frenzy
from fear of the tardy-bell or expert
enced the agony of watching the light
Of life thus go out from the dear eyes
of a darling child. The tardy-bell be-
comes the daily dread of hundreds of
children, rObbing them of their rest,
destroying their appetites for the morn
ing meal and by rendering them so IN
easy and distraught as TO incapacitate
them for efficient mental application.
OF course some. children are very
much more sensitive than others, than
even their own brothers and sisters,
and the teacher who is not capable OF
discerning the difference of their schol-
ars' temperaments and sensitiveness
is not fit for the vocation. A punish
ment which humiliateS one into the
very dust Will go unheeded by another.
Three weeks ago a little girl in the
EmpOria public schools. was so out
ragged and Mortified by her teacher ex-
hnT 10 ~. 10 Of nr. 81
mates that she could not bear the idea |
of returning home. Laying her books !
down in the street she told her play |
mates in heartbroken sentences that !
she was going down to the river to |
drown herself. She relented on reach |
ing the water, but this little nine year
old Strayed many miles into the coun- !
try where she was found after an all
night and days search by her dis |
tracted parents, Many children play |
truant because of being unable to |
reach the door of the school room be |
fore The tardy-bell has changed forth |
its doom. A case of this kind in this |
city a short time since occurred for /
which little boy was suspended, and /
his mother on protesting was told the |
child would be taken back only on |
condition that she would permit him |
to be logged with a stick. OF course |
she being a natural mother. would not /
permit the outrage, still the husband I
and father must go on contributing
taxes TO sustain the school marin who |
debarred his boy of his rights. If
these teachers owned the town. or even
owned the schools, it might be differ
eut. But they not only do not. but as
a rule are non-tax payers, having no
in the town further than the
money they monthly draw from its
people.
Somebody is responsible for the driv-
ing away from home of that little
child last week. Who can tell the
agony of that little girl just vergins
on womanhood with her accompany
ing sensitive and highly wrought nerv-
Gus condition, or what the dire results
may prove in all her after life. Teach.
erS, principals or superintendent. in
dividually or combined. are responsible
II school boards are unequal to the
rules, schemes and jobs of place-hunt-
ers and professional manipuIators.
then parents should turn their atten-
ton to the elections
While Kansas people are proud of
their schools. they constitute their
single burden. But teachers
and boards of education, alike, should
be given to understand most emphatic
ally that the schools are maintained