The evening times., 1898-01-20
INJUSTICE in
TIE SCHOOLS
Hints for Parents Who Send
Their Children.
Defective Ventilation, Miserable
Drainage aud Ovcrherding
Cause Many Ills.

One species OF Injustice always rankles
deep in my heart. 1t is when a child,
dullard, is cuffed, abused, threatened,
beaten, because ne faiIs to develop a stu
dents quaiiricat IONS. \ teacher Of the
book aggard, incensed AT his slow prog
ress, sends home note Of complaint.
The nother's feelings are rufiled. She
in turn must 10 something To melody
10 she pours out her yials OF wrath OH the
head or ner ueIenssIesa juvenile, Ipt che
child is defenseiess, because OF actual
lack Of brains. Tne object OF her anger,
coweC into positive imbeciity, cannot
make proper headway. Poor little shay
lie is scared quite out OF his wits at the
start. Nov, | would like 10 know how
parents dare hold a child responsible for
being the possessOr OF a mind lacking ia
briiliancy. a defective memory, thick
skull, a mentality anything but keen
edged is in most cases inherit ed, as much
~ as the eyes, the hair, the skin, or any
other feature. The uuII chld was brought
into the world a heavy thinker, and il
win go down TO IT g grave a heavy thinker,
no matter how much time or money is
spent in the mimi d-polishing process.
Here is hint for the parenJ VINO does not
object to d0nning a thinking cap. We have
In our schools, and crying shame it is,
what is commonly known as school all
ments." We have actually become accus-
toned to referring To them as such. Many
times the ailment takes but one form, com
plete inactivity OF mind and body. The tiny
pupil drags To school and wearily drag,
home again and what a hapIess struggle
goes ON in the small frame between the
physical and the mental. No appetite"
walls the mother. NO ambition" =" groy-Is
the teacher. There is friction right away.
The child is nagged from all quarters. 10
hasn't sense enough To know what is the
matter, and the older people do not try 10
find out.
Common sense in the garb Of a physi-
clan needs to step in about now. IL
would not take tie praCticpd eve of
good doctor very long to discover the
mis- chief at work. Defect We vcntila-
ton, nisera bic drainage. Ovcr-hcrding IT
the little folks, and then how he would
hustle about Uutil he brought the persons
Interested - their seuses. Parents are
utterly blind in 10 many instances To the
household. They expect them u accomplish
wonders with all UGds against them. We
should banish fron. our laud such a pestas
the school disease. 1t ought to cease to
claim recognition. This age is too en-
lightened for such heathenisu4. Why don't
some OF the feminine refurmSts take UP the
eyil3 | tave great faith ili reform when
women are stirred to action. Talk about
prevention OF cruelty TO anima l.. talk abOpt
Audubon so"ie ietles; why, that sort of pnIl-
anthropy is mere play compared with tie
work awaiting tire philantlIrunist in the
school ToOm.
Take your boys ne ewest Jacket or your
girls prettieSt frock and sniff at
the vile Odors that aTe CIingine to II be-
ca use of Overheated, overcfO wded space.
beca use OF yitiated atmosphere A child's
garment wJrn any length OF time in
most of our public schools soon tells the
tale. 1t is an eloquent, though silent
witness Of the lack OF pure oxygen.
The little folks are not dealt wisely
or sympa thetiCaliy with in the school
room. Mea ger is the allowance made bv
the average instructor engaged in the
forcing process to discover the physical
as well as the mental pee uliarities of
his pupils. All are punched. II one is
smarter than the rest he is patted on
the back. This Chld's neighbor from
senSe-inferiority fingers in the back
ground and scorn is his portion. The
dullard, falling 10 secuTe a helping ha nd,
slips more and more to the rear, until he
becomes one more in the rank of unfor-
tunates suffering from misdirected men,
tai enthusiastically Maddox. in Phila-
delphia Times