The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-19
WHY SCHOOLS BEGIN EARLY.
Conflicting Interests of Children Ex-
planned at Length.
Boston Transcript.


1t would be interesting to know how
many parents whose children are in the
public schools have said this week, Il Won
der why our children cannot have Vaca-
ton until the end of September as Well as
the children who go to the private schools.
A sufficient number of people have certain
ly said it to cause one to wonder, Tor little
time why it is that the public schools begin
their sessions on the 18th OF september
Sometimes earlier never la1er man fne
not until the very end of the month and
sometimes not until October. Are the chill
dren who attend the private schools SO
much brighter than those who attend the
public schools that they can learn as much
In eight months as the others do in nine?
schools be willing to admit that that is
true? Do the children in the pr !ate
schools need to learn less nul5 OF tnings
the reason for the difference in the date of
opening of the school session?
Nowadays, in New England, taking in
country and city, as many mice" children
are sent to the public schools as to the pri-
vate schools. The public schools are the
urbs and country few parents think it
necessary to find private schools for their
children. AS a rule, the parents of the
mice" children are as influential persons
as others in the community Why do they
not if they believe in letting children run
free until October, so influence matters that
the public schools shall not open before the
first day of that month? There must be
some reason other than pure accident or
1T was always so" Are the people sub +
want? They do 1t enough in various direc-
tions, heaven knows; are they doing 1t in
this?
Some of them are doubtless, but prob
ably the majority are not. The reason lies.
apparently, in the difference in the condi-
ton and ideas of the majority of the patrons
OF the public schools and the patrons of the
private schools. Mrs. Blobbs, the washer
woman says that for her part she wishes hes
thinks two months vacation in the course
of year-one month in summer, fort
night at Christmas and another fortnight AT
Easter would be quite enough for any
child; that children can get up devltry
enough in that time to last them all the
rest Of the year. She would rather have her
children off the street. and where they can
be talked to by nicc lrf'v for a teacher,
and learn something thatn be of some use
to EN- when they grow up, than have EN-
skylarking around, the Lord knows where,
and like enough getting drowned in the
Probably she is quite right about them.
and Mrs. Blobbs's wishes and necessities
have to be considered. Then there is Mr..
do not run wild quite in the way of the
Blobbs children-though he is afraid his lit
tie Peleg will get an occasional chance to
play with Tom BIobbs during the long sum-
mer vacation-but they wear him a good
deal while they are out of school. More
than that, Mr.. Perkins pays several dollars
or taxes each year which he knows goes to
the school fund, and he feels that the
teacher is in his pay and he wants to get
ElS moneys worth out OF the ISdcn0F. AS
Mr.. Stetson said to the cornet player, he
does not hire that teacher to rest. He
means, If he has any influence in the mat
ter, that his Peleg shall get the worth of
his school tax in schoolin;, And It is also
doubtful If it is not as well that Peleg, no
less than Tom Blobbs, shall be in school as
soon as the 7th of September.
So the wishes of Mrs. Blobbs and Mr..
Perkins go together-and heaven knows
that there are very few duestitqhns that they
Mrs. Waldron, who sees with great concern
the arrival of the date when her spare
bodied and neryousy high-strung Willie
and Dorothy, who already know more than
is good for children of their age, must
bring their modest vacation to an end and
resume the study that really wears on
them. Mrs. Waldron made great sacrifices
to get her children to the salt water for the
summer, and she cannot afford to send her
children to the private school that perhaps
she would prefer for them All summer
long the recuperation of those scrawny
children has been matter of nervous
the children themselves. They have strained
and worn themselves trying to recuperate
sufficiently. Getting rested for school
again has been a mightier concern with
them through the summer than having just
childike good time. They know. as well
as their mother, that they are going to be
In school much longer time, If they are
able to stick to school the year through,
than is good for them, and that probably
they would learn more If they went to
school less, and that after all, probably, the
greatest danger about them is that they
Will learn too much Mrs. Waldrons Willie
Blobbs's Tommy and Mr. Perkins's Peleg,
but somehow they do not seem to have as
much influence with the school committee.
1t is bad for them that they haven't but
overlooked in the determination of the
question when school shall begin.