New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-10-23
RiTHI\G ~ PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

4 somewhat interesting and unusual expert
ment Is about 10 be tried in Boston AT re-
cent meeting the School Board. by a vote of J
10 = decided to put baths in the new Paul
Revere schoolhouse at the North End Those
who voted against tn, mcasur" declared that
IL would be illegal. Whether not they are
correct in that view is. perhaps. an open
question. Certainly bathing does not seem to
nj readily into n public school curriculum. 1t
u.s. or ought Ia he "a purely domestic function
1t Is possible that the courts would take that
view ~ IT, and would. therefore. decide that the
school Board has no legal right To use school
money in building bathrooms in public schools
POSSIBLY. also a parent who does not believe
that cleanliness H. an essential element in edu-
cation might get 4. court order excmpting his
child from the operations OF the bathing reGula-
ton. hut for these very reasons the Boston ex-
pertinent will rc watched with Interest for II
nay become a preoeden. that will throw a new
light on the possibilities ~ public school educa-
tion.
As Il matter 81 fact. IN" curriculum Of the pub
lie schools haq been very much expanded In re-
cent wears. and the old-fashioned people Of forty
or Gfty years ago. who looked On the three
RS" as the only essentials in common scho"
education. would open their eyes in wonder AZ
the many things taught bon modern public
school The problem To be- solved U.s. Indeed. one
Of great difficulty II Il * not actually insoluole
al present The simpl" rudimcntary education
that served fairly we'll generation ago would
be entirely Inadequate for large proportion 81
pupils to-day. New avenues ~ knowledge nave
been opened and "A higher standard Of intclil-
pcnce Is necessary 10Y those who would capture
the greater prizes ~ life. Somehow or other.
ia. public schools must ,.y To cover vastly more
ground than they used To cover. and do 50 with
out teaching anything In superficial way. That
they have failed. IN measure, To do TINS Is not
al MI strange The science Of education is In 4
state Of nux. and viii continue to be so until
some intelligent analysis and synthesis Of
knowledge is made This is the age Of the spe-
cialist and everything IL done to help him in his
chosen line. But wha; il needed in the public
schools is not a congcres OF special studies so
much az the boiled down spirit Of modern learn
ing. not so much the teaching Of unrelated facts
as of the real relation OF those facts to one an
other
Perhaps. as have said bathing may he
technically no proper part Of public school
curriculum: yet looking at the question in It's
largest aspect. cleanliness is essentially related
To n true education. 1t is an old saying that the
advance OF civilization is indicated by the use
OF sOap-a SAYING none the less true because II
Is often quoted in soap ads" Unfortunately a
great many children not taught the virtue
Of cleanliness at home. Either the facilities are
lacking or their parents ere Indifferent To the
question No lesson is impressive as an OBJ
ject lesson: that truth the whole structure
Of modern education Is coming to rest. II, there
fore such children could be made to receive the
object lesson of n bath I'm school they would
learn something about physical purity that they
would never forget.