The San Francisco call., 1897-11-28
WHY HUMILIA4E
THE CRILDRBu?!
Some Queer Methods in
Vogue in San Fran
cisco Schools.
Pupils Are Often Punished for
the Offenses of Their
Parents.
Home Work" to Relieve Teachers
and "Deportment Glass" for
.Infractions of Rules.

There is quite a difference of opinion
between parents and teachers regarding
what children go to school for-that is,
between some parents and some teachers.
For instance. the question of humiliation
TO which some of the pupils of the public
schools are subjected. Some of the teach
ers appear to think that the children under
their charge have no feelings. yet the par
ents say that the little ones are sensitive,
and the parents ought to know.
While the teachers OF the Hamilton
Gram mar School consider the pupils in
the light of convicts and mum ber them &C
cordingly, the instructors in other schools
throughout the city have other methods
of showing a disregard for the mental
peace of their charges. According to the
parents who send their children to the
Mission Grammar School there are sew
eral obsolete methods in vogue there
which could we'll be relegated TO the rear
without detriment to the school or TO the
children.
The "deportment Glass;" one of the
relics of backwoods days, is to be found
in AL the schools. and it mus: be an ex-
ception ally good boy or girl who escapes
the Illuminating sentence to report to the
department class" OF course the chill
dren can't feel. The teachers think 50
any way. But it is noticeable that when
a child is once sentenced to the deport-
ment class for tardiness It prefers to re-
turn home next time rather than be dis
graced again.
Ii does seem little hard that child
s1ould be the scapegoat when an over
worked mother happens to have breakfast
little late. Yet, in Mission Gram mar
the first offense is punished by hall an
l..
evenings and the second time the mother
offends, the vicarious atonem through
the child is five evenings in confinement.
They have not yet reached the dark cell
and bread and water period but it will
probably come later.
But tardiness IS not the only crime for
which the mothers are punished through
the children At least that Is what he
mothers say. An investigation into school
methods brings out mos, earnest pleas
that the COmpialnant> names be sup
pressed, for, as one mother said, ''If you
print my name my child will have an aw-
ful time at school," Just why the child
should be made to suffer for the offenses
of the parents is not clear. but it is unfor-
tunately true, or else a ma jority of the
parents seem to have misa pprehenslon
Of facts.
Another point of disagree is
whether teachers are employed TO teach
or to hear recitations. Parents who pay
the taxes think the teachers are for the
purpose OF teaching but the Constructors"
seem TO have an entirely different opinion.
A child is supposed to learn every thing
and then tell the teacher a bout it. There
is an idea preva ent in certain circles that
'hcme work" is prohibited in San Fran
cisco schools, but that must be a mistake
for the pupils are still given such extern
sive lessons to learn after hours that they
have no time to get the necessary recrea-
ton that is conducive to good health.
When asked why they studied at home,
the invariabe answer is, that if they do
not have the lessons they VIII be sent to
the epoIt ment class. One little girl of
II years >pends six hours during the day
in the schoolroom and studies four hours
at home in the evening. Ytlt is against
the rules to give out night work. One in
dignant parent wrote TO Superintendent
Webster about this, but he was evidently
TOO busy attending to other matters 10 do
ANYTHING for he did not even acknow Wedge
the receipt of her letter.
But then what right have parents or
pupils to criticize the teachers or the
methods in the public schools OF San
Francisco? They are a part OF the
great political machine and the
benefciaries OF the system, even
though they do pay for its main
tenance, should remember that the teach
ers know what they are there for, and if
the parents do not like the way things are
run there is no law to prevent them hiring
private teachers for their little ones.