The Hawaiian gazette., 1896-07-14
OVER THE TEACUPS.

II is the season for the fitting OF
tired teachers and restless pupils. Al
our wharyes we see them starting 10
wing their dighU across the blue Pacific
or the rroubIouS iuter-iSland channels.
which they brave in search OF rest
When we have flung after them our last
leiS and waved our last farewells TO the
steamers that bear our friends. we turn
our faces mauka, and let our horses
homeward plod their weary way. As
for Us we sit back and with knitted
brows wonder why the children are so
tasked, why the teachers are so worn
Is il stern necessity or is it poor man
agement that exacts its yearly tribute
OF brOken-down forces from our teach
ers and scholars Let us consider the
case OF the teachers. Perhaps the Glass
in Child Study next year will tell US
how the children can be educated with
less wear and tear on their bodies
First OF all, call in our convenient
scape- goat. the climate. Many Of our
teachers are imported from the States
where the yearly tonic OF frost enables
them TO maintain 4 good average OF
vigor in spite Of the excessive strain Of
teaching. Here on the contrary, where
they need 10 live two years to become
accliuatiZed. and every second year
need 10 90 and recuperate in colder
climates. they cannot indulge in the
same intensity OF work without serious
consequences Our climate is beauCi-
fuL Il insists upon being appreciated
If the earnest teacher who comes here
expects 10 teach with the same fine dis
regard OF weather she felt ar home. she
viii find heaven and earth conspiTing
against her. The very air is freighted
with Incidence \ strange lassiIude
bsnuubS her will \ severe routine
can only be maintained by struggling.
and IL Is the struggle that kills.
If in school matters The powers that
be would consider the climate, and what
It viii allow in the long run, our edu-
cationaI boards would less often ap-
pear Egyptian taskmasrers. Alas
school boards also feel the pressure
So like the pyramid builders. they
keep TO the good old way, wearing out
each set Of workers in about three
years. then securing other countries
for more victims.
Especially is this the case with our
boarding schools One Is apLIy term
ed the -Lady-kilIerT II grants 70 its
tsaCher-sIaves daily diet OF eight
hours or more OF arduous response
biliLy-Jeaching, dOruitOry duty and
general superinteudeuce. II adds
weekly dissfparions OF srudy-hoUr and
hOCsecLezl-Eg oversight and throws
II 2 lev udbIts extra. like escOrting
pupils 20 Church Sunday School or
PrayEE-ueeJirE The whole banquet
Of work Is crowned by one or more
weeks Of EaCa-I01 duty. 6 dainty even
more fuGIgzstible than any yet offered
10 palaE5S already faded.
One way OF varying this diet might
Be 70 relieve the teachers OF their po-
Iicsman duty By. Introducing into all
work TIE spirit OF the honor examiua-
tons Of Princetowu and Cornell,
working towards the goal OF indepen-
deuce. Our teachers sometimes Won
der how much We trade on their mis-
sio1ary. spirit and how much over
work the aforesaid spirit implies
Not long since, z certain school IN HO-
COIulu adopted the college system Of
MARKS vastly more rational than the
szST PEI cent method Yet ii is
fact that this new way OF marking was
holly denounced By some on the
ground thar IL made the teachers work
easier,
Many applicants for positions in our
Hawaiian schools do not realize the
demands that viii be made upon their
strength 4 months work often
proves far more severe than the in
sginzIO1 had promised L would be
vel for those engaging teachers TO
dwell insfsJenrly upon the hardship OF
The work and the popularity OF our
climate II order 10 discourage those
IN poor health Even teachers with
good mental and physical equipment
find besides their school work other
conflicting demands Some social re-
creation L ueedfuI for their best ser
vice and church work offers delight
fuI s1liaEious Let such Be warned:
The triple alliance OF school church
and society L Ike its prototype q
TenriOus friend
There ere OF course OF some teachers
Who do not have 4 sufficient margin
IN their education Training IS cost