The Monitor-register., 1896-10-16
LETTER BOX,
Are the Public Schools FO rctu~


Scholars?
MR.. EDIToR:-The School Board. at
its last meeting, passed some very import.
ant resolutions. Complaint had been
made that there was no intermission
during either the morning or afternoon
sessions in some Of the rooms. and if
a pupil asked to leave the room during
this time, a penalty was attached that
the pupil must make up the time after
school,. 1t is well known to those an.
gagged In school matters that this persist.
ant going in aud out of the pupils during
school hours is one that has puzzled
teachers for years. 1t is a matter in
which the best Judgment of the teacher
at times is completely at a loss. To meet
the case, however. the rule above men
toned does not seem to be altogether
just, and the School Board wisely took
the matter into consideration,
While the present public school svstem
is, without doubt, the best the world has
ever seen. it is not perfect, by apy means.
The one great trouble in nearly all
schools is that the pupils are terribly
overtasked in their studies. 1t is literally
forcing knowledge into the scholars. az
they not only study very hard at school.
W." way ASoao cAhO 10 AClb tu0u ZOE r6Gros
alton out of school hours. 1t will be-
found that pupils in the higher depart.
ments of u public schools spend the
entire evening in study, and the case ia
mentioned to the writer of a Young girl in
oar public school who frequently studies
till IL O'Clock at night. This she is COM
PEELED to do on account of the task before
her for the next day.
NnW If will ha oSLad uho l., u
for this terrible condition of things in our
schools. for this is the case wherever Won
go-it is not confined to Woodstown
alone-and let me say Just here. this
article is not intended to censure the
teachers of our public school alone. or
any other school, if censure is really due.
but the object of the writer is to point
u faults that plainly exist in these mat.
ters. To ans er the question, Who is to
blame? l reply it is the teachers and no
one else 1t is not a fault, however, that
is Intentionally so, it is undergraduates,
a mistaken notion. To sum the matter
up, tue teacher is thoroughly interested
in making the most favorable showing
possible at the end of the term, and to
accomplish this a certain amount of work
must be done; and the more actual work
there is done the more favorable is the
showing at the commencement, so far as
literary matters are concerned; but if we
look at the matter a little further that
matter of knowledge is, indeed, of very
little Importance when compared to the
health of the individual. If the little
boy or girl becomes an invalid in after
life, of what use, in most cases, is this
knowledgeP
The American people is a nation of in
valids, and the writer is firmly convinced
that a part of this invalidity at least is
due and can be directly traced to school
life. Why, just look at it. These chill.
dren need all the chance in the world
while they are growing and developing
their physical being. They need recrea,
ton, exercise, pure air and very little
actual labor-iustead of this, however,
the case is reversed. Many pupils in our
public schools get very little exercise, no
observation-disclosures they do not have
tlme-and, in many instances, are com
PEELED to sit in badly ventilated school
rooms, and with all these disadvantages
are required to work at their studies.
hard and for long hours, until completely
exhausted and worn out. Can these
young beings stand this? Is iu WON
der We are a nation of ipvalids ? Some
may say that this picture is overdrawn,
but the writer feels confident that anyone
who will Investigate the matter thor.
oughly will find that the statement
is correct.
This forcing business in our public
school, for you cannot more correctly
name it, is a terrible wrong aud should
be prevented. But how con you do it ?
The ambition of teachers is to do the best
they can in their particular work or bust
ness and demonstrate this fact to the
patrons at the close of the school; on the
other hand, the tenderness aud frailty of
childhood, needing the greatest care and
attention in most instances to mature a
healthful being in after life, 80 that the
teacher has a double work to perform j.,
if they are honest and have the cause
in all its bearings fully at heart, which
We believe most of them have, this evil
that has been mentioned would exist In q
small degree only. But it seems to be a
matter of unthoughtedness on the part of
the teachers as to what this terrible result
must be, and add to this the ambition re-
fsrred to, and we can easily see why such
things exist.
AS stated in the beginning of this arti-
ole, the School Board has taken action on
the matter and passed resolutions and
certain recommendations that will have
some effect in mitigating the evil at least.
While the Board connot prevent the fore
ing business (and l wish it to be known
by this name), it has the power to
mend to the teachers that this kind Of
work be abstained from. In the matter
of intermission the Board has passed the
following resolution: THAT there should
be an intermission of ten minutes during
each session, and that each pupil is re-
quired to pass out into the open air in
pleasant weather and remain there at
least one-half of the intermission, with
the privilege, if desired, of then return
ing to the room; but o to engage in any
study until the bell rings to call school,"