The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-28
Newspapers in the Schools.

Newspapers in the Schools.
Our estimable contemporary, the School
Journal, regards as wholly pernicious the
| growing practice of using daily newspa-
pers as the text for reading classes in pub
lie elementary schools. 1t calls upon the
National Educational Association to take
a firm stand against the innovation.
A singular and somewhat amusing Incl
| dent in Kansas City has shaped the discus
sion of this interesting subject by the
technical educational press. The Superin-
tendent of the public school system of that
town, Mr.. j. NJ. GREENWOOD, is also the
President Of the National Educational AS
ISOLATION. He recently astounded not only
the citizens Of Kansas City, but also edu-
Gators everywhere who knew his eminent
standing as q pedagogue. by ordering that
a certain distinctly yellow newspaper Of
New York should be kept on file in every
school of Kansas City. The circumstance
was Immediately advertised In the most
hysterical of type by the newspaper In ques-
tion, and the storm of indignant protest
thereupon compelled the Superintendent to
rescind the order.
Mr.. GREENwooD's explanation, in effect,
Is that having read New York newspapers
of the class of The SUN in the Kansas City
Public Library, he supposed that all the
journals published In the metropolis were
similarly eligible. A New York newspaper
Of which he knew nothing by personal ex-
perience invited him to write an article for
1t, and at the same time offered to send q
free copy every day to every school in Kan
sas City. Mr.. GREENWOOD wrote the ar
ticle, and also, upon the request Of the
newspapers representative, wrote q per.
sonal letter ordering the papers to be sent
to the schools. When the first copies ar.
rived, and he for the first time perceived
the sensational character of the publica-
tion, he promptly changed his decision
n refused to have the papers go on file.
The incident, however, has impaired conf
dence in the s~oundness of Mr.. GREEN
WOODS Judgment. "Conceding to him
the best of intentions" remarks the Kan
sas City Journal, sit will nave to be ad-
mitted that he has made a costly and mex
cusable blunder."
OF course, there Is no difference of opin.
ion among educators as to the inexpedi.
ency Of adopting the contents of the sen.
sational newspapers as texts for reading
classes in the public schools. The broader
question is whether any daily newspape,
should beused for that purpose. The Schoo
Journal says No. "Take. for instance
1t remarks, "this item from Til SUN, the
best edited daily paper in America:
"'w. H. HARRISON. editor of the Register, published
ct Ashland. the seat of Justice OF Benton county. Mis-
sissippi. was stabbed to death by Mr.. /. L. MCDONALD
| vRafaFday The trOnhla aFOaa n nnfioa - ~
approaching religious lecture published in the Rec
fster. MCDONALD thought the notice too short an,
condensed and said that II the lecturer had been
Methodist instead OF a Baptist. HARRISON would hav
given him . moro extended and hattering notics
HARRISON replied. and MCDONALD. backed by hi
brother. a boy OF 10. attacked him with q knife. Kill
ing him. There was q very ugly feeling over tn
murder. and threats were made OF ~lynching, so tina
the two McDoNALps were taken to Holly Springs 70
safety"
The extract from the THE Suns column
which the School Journal uses as an illus
tration is a legitimate piece of news, ever
mildly stated" as 1t admits and yet bt
cause such items occur, and must nece,
sarily occur, in any newspaper that is
newspaper, our esteemed professional COZ
temporary holds that daily journals ough
' to be excluded from the class room.
We shall not un dertake to say that it
wrong. 1t is a question for specialists 1
,, pedagogy. We know thai The SUN, fo
example, is used by many teachers in tn
class room with great satisfaction to then
selves, and, no doubt, considerable benef
,, to their pupils. There are articles and pa
: sages in every number of every daily new
paper which we should not choose for
= class recitation. The same principle al
: plies to Shakespeare, and even to the Hol
Bible. Ordinary common sense, we shout
f. say, would regard it merely as a questio
' of judicious selection beforehand, by I'll
teacher.
= Why, there could certainly be no MOI
. unobjectionable reading matter, from IL
. point Of view of the educator of youtl
= than the contents of our respectable an
: earnest contemporary, the School Journa
. Yet in the same number which calls Il
the exclusion Of all daily newspapers, eve
' The SUN, we find the subjoined item
= school intelligence:
"cUrID AND THE PoucK-
LOUISVILLE. KX.-Two policemen stand guard
> fore the Louisville School OF Medicine every day
the time the girls high school Is dismissed. Thu
d duty is to prevent the medical students from nirti
u with the young women OF the high school. The u
institutions Join. Prof BARTHOLOMEW OF the CIR
"A high school appealed to Chief OF Police TAYLOR . Il
y days ago for protection for the girls. He said q
= the students had been making desperate Efforts
D. dirt with his charges Now two large members