New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-02
GIRL PUPILS MAKE RULES.
ONE SCHOOLS IMPROVEMENT Ex-
PERTINENT IS A SUCCESS.
UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE HOWEVER. HAS MOI
BEEN TRIED YET-JANEr f. RUUTz REEFS
ON THE EDUCATIONAL EFFECT


OF THIS PLAN.
The time for advancing argument for the
higher education of girls has gone by The issue
is already determined. Broadly speaking. no
girl ambitious OF the laurels won by her broth
ers will find any external obstacle to obtaining
them All roads TO learning are open TO ner
If one university closes Its classrooms to her
upon the ground Of sex. another will not. Hence,
all who are interested in the question Of Girls
education find themselves face to face with
another problem. and that one peculiar to our
own day.
What FORM what direction. shall this higher
education take? Shall II seek only an intellect
ual equipment and leave the girl as sentiment
ally feminine as did the older seminary OF grace
full demeanor and elegant needlework? Or shall
the curriculum OF the girls school Include
broader ethical view of her increasing influence
of her widening horizon? This Is. practically
speaking. the question of importance TO ecu
Gators day, and therefore an experiment tr'eu
and for three years successfully carried OUT IN d
girls school may be worthy Of considerations
the more so as the plan evolved was not con-
templated in the first instance. but was the
logical outcome of circumstances which are
probably common TO many schools, and are la
BILE to arise in all.
The school in question was ORG nally small ana
was conducted upon the principles OF Judicious
home Few rules were necessary and while the
authority of such as existed was not questioned
a certain leniency, possible in small establish
ments was naturally expected. rapid growth
in numbers suddenly changed the government
Of the school. and the affectionate familiarity
of the pupils and principal seemed likely to give
way under new conditions which compelled
stricter rules and more guarded privileges, and
a not unnatural spirit of protest against neces-
sary supplementary laws arose.
INTRODUCING SELF-GOVERNMENT.
At this critical moment the principal. calling
the entire school together, told the girls that'
feeling their dissatisfaction at the rules now
enforced she had a proposal to make to them,
which was that they themselves should draw
IN such a set of rules as seemed to them just
| and reasonable and submit them TO her. Al
| the same time she read over to them her own
enactments and carefully explained the reason
| for each. pointing out that there was not
single law in the entire schedule which nad not
| as it's raison detre the health and sa1ety OF the
! girls and the order Of the house Not one Oh
! them was purely disciplinary. She insisted only
! that any rules proposed by themselves mus'
have the same qualifications. with TINS pro-
| viso finding lat her proposal was met Win
| universal satisfaction. she lett the matter ia
| their hands merely ADVISING tHdl " o'o'N W.
| fusion, it would be wise TO select nve represei-
/ tative girls to act for the school
| Somewhat to the surprise Of the principal 'ne
| action of the committee thus chosen was emil
| nentlv conservative. When the new rules ap-
| neared upon the blackboard they were FOUND 70
| no identical with those already In operation
with supplementary addition curtaiiing pf'vi-
| lege This unexpected result was ,unooup'eul!
due as much 10 the timidity under responsibility
as 10 approval OF earlier methods Inc choioe
NJ FIVE representative girls did, however. reflect
honor upon the ballot They were the pest rep
resentatives that could have been selected. ana
their action reflected credit upon ther JUG
ment.
The remedy for dissatisfaction worked we'll
No rebellion could be expressed against laws
drawn up by their representatives, ana, reaiizhe
that no radical change in method was 10 De
| feared and thinking It was wise TO deepen the
feeling of responsibility which had been evoked,
the principal made further suggestion. she
! proposed that the girls should not only MAKE
| their own laws, but should undertake 10 carry
| them out themselves; in short. that they shoulo
| elect a governing committee leaving the power
| Of veto with herself This idea being also ac-
cented with satisfaction she carefully explained
10 them the limits Of their prerogatives. and
| made it clear that in becoming executive. they
| must recognize the authority of teachers In the
| classroom and that questions of health and of
| moral lelinouencies would not be decided by
| them.
BROADLY OUTLINED WORK.
| 1t being part Of the school duty to memorize
| the Constitution of the United States, 1t prop
ably suggested itself to the girls as model
At any rate in carrying out the suggestions
| Of the principal, which had purposely omitted
specific direction, they fell back upon this safe
| National precedent. and drew UP an outline OF
| executive government which, although neces
| sary crude and imperfect was just in principle
| 1t left the teachers somewhat In the position OF
| State Governors. empowered TO decide questions
| in their own dominion and to administer marks
| ard penalties. which were. however to be en-
forced by the Executive Committee. while 1t
| placed the principal in the position Of president
! or chief executive. in possession Of veto power
| a power which, in the three years Of self-gov-
| crnment she has only once been called upon TO
! exercise.
The work thus broadly outlined was accom-
! plished by monthly committees chosen by bal
| lot and it not until the election OF sixth
committee that the school found itself in pos
| session of n constitution which embodied its
| ideal of justice and which later. printed and
| framed was hung in the schoolrooms and par
| lors an incentive and a reminder of the ideal of
| the girls.
| QUALIFICATIONS NECESSARY
The questions which arose in connection with
| the slow building up Of the constitution and
| its formal adoption emnently interesting
| and suggestive. Difficulties In connection with
| universal suffrage shortly appeared. II was
| found that younge- and less responsible girls
| having the vote. could be unduly influenced, and
were likely to cast their ballot under temporary
| Influences being open to fattery. and not al
| ways cognzant of bribery when II took the
| shape Of promised privilege, and there in
| stances In which plurality of numbers gave
| urd weight to juniors II became evident