The San Francisco call., 1896-05-29
The Bridge and Denman Prizes
Will Not Be Used Next
Term.
PRINCIPALS PERTINENT VIEWS
A Luxury for Few-An Injury to
Many-The Pupil at the Foot
of the Class.

1t has been virtually determined by
the educational Solons that the medals,
which for so many years past have been
awarded to the public school children up
on their graduation from the grammar
grades in recognition OF excellence in
scholarship and department, are more
harmful than beneficial. At the end OF
the term these glittering souvenirs that,
with their blue ribbon attachments, have
been worn so proudly by so many bright
and we'll behaved boys and girls will be i'll
use no longer. They are doomed and will
soon be only recollection of past days.
Pride is not the sole feeling associated with
these medals, for their distribution as ex-
perience shows has been provocative also
of many heartaches and jealousies.
Conformably to instructions from the
Board of Education, Superintendent Bab-
cock recently sent circular letter to
primary, grammar and high school prin-
cipals, inquiring: "In your Judgment is
the presentation of medals advantageous ?"
The answers received thus far from a score
of principals, including several of the rep
resentative schools, are emphatically in
the negative.
Il am firmly of the opinion" says Will
liam II. Edwards of the Crocker Grammar
that the distribution of medals for scholar
ship and department is an unalloyed evil,
and for one l wish the Board of Education
would find some means OF abolishing the
nuisance.
"Those who win the medals are those
from whom no effort is necessary. Often
the most deserving do not get them. Often
they are the cause of jealousy and hard
feeling. Often the recipients obtain them
by cheating and sharp practice. Often
those who do get them place no value
upon them"
'I do not" writes James T. Hamilton
OF the Lincoln Grammar, regard medals
as proper incentive to study. Few pupils
work for them after the first two or three
months. The rest of the class drops out
medals are the bright pupils, who need no
such stimulus. No matter how fairly
awarded, there are always some pupils,
and often a few parents, dissatisfied"
| Miss Clara NJ. Johnston of the FAIR
mount Primary thus tersely and strongly
| expresses her views:
! dIf medals are to be distributed, the
number should be increased, giving the
] pupils who have made great improvement
an equal chance with those who are
naturally bright or whose home surround
| ings are such that they have every ad-
vadtage. In my own neighborhood some
/ of the brightest children come from homes
/ where parents are unable to read or write,
where no daily paper Is taken and where
| there are few If any books in the house.
| Such pupils deserve medals before those
ranking higher"
Elisha Brooks of the Girls High. A.
Herbst of the South Cosmopolitan Gram
mar, Albert Lyser of the John SWEET
Grammar, 7. B. White of the Washington
| Grammar, Miss e. E. Stincen of the Whit
tier Primary, Miss II. M. Farchild of the
Potrero Primary, Miss Mary A. Scherer of
the Garfield Primary, Miss Caroline B.
| Barlow of the Irving Primary ana Mrs.
! Lizzie K. Burke of the Columbia Grammar
| all disbelieye in the advisability OF medals
The system of medal distribution finds
| an out-and-out advocate in w. w. Stone
| of the South San Francisco Primary, who
says:
II believe in the medal system. Like
all other slim ulants, medals should be
given on the prescription OF competent
mental doctors.
"If there are men or women or children
whose powers OF mind or body do not
| glow best under the motive energy of
healthfnl emulation l have never met
them. Medals properly mixed and purely
administered stir the sluggish blood and
lmpart activity to the halting BRAIN"
Miss Agnes NJ. Manning of the Webster
Primary and Mrs. Sarah ]. Mann of the
Hawthorne Primary also think that the
medals should be retained and distributed
! impartially.
| Superintendent Babcock says that
medals crafty the pride of few at the
expense of the many, and should accord
| ingly be discontinued. The pupil at the
| foot of his class is, he holds, entitled to
the utmost respect if he be in earnest in
his desire to learn and will, in the long
run, be likely to come out q winner.
| The Bridge medals are for all deserving
boys graduating from the grammar grades,
and the DeEman medals are for the girl
graduates of the Denman School only.
Individual medal funds have also been
created by several of the leading grammar
schools.