The Washington weekly post., 1899-10-03
AS OTHERS SEE IT.
Appreciatiye Estimate of the School Sys-
tenn in Washington.
From Ainslee's Magazine.

From Ainslee's Magazine
With 5000 children In the public schools
of Washington, ID. c., there were but 30
cases of punishment last year. When
you and l were contending against the
advantages of education, some twenty or
thirty years ago, We would have often
borne this whole burden of offense upon
The palms OF our hands or the calves of our
bare legs, in a single term. But In those
days boys escaped hanging only by a
miracle, and nature, as manifest in the
mind and body of child, was a devil
to be cast out. The children of to-day
are no better than those Of yesterday,
but the wise men are a little more en-
lightened. A benign and steadfast Pr0vi-
dsnce directs the destiny of the world,
and as. one by one, its popular effigies
crumble and fall, its ways Of IovelIness
and its paths of peace appear.
The effort to force children into the
hide-bound mold of The pedagogue, TO
make Spencerian copies of than ALL, has
ceased in the Capital City, at least, and
In its place prevails method so simple,
wholesome, and effective tndt teachers
and children alike find a 10y In the
knowledge each day brings 10 them. In
place oil the unnatural silence OF ancient
SchOOlrOOms. a constant sound OF life and
activity Is heard. The children are NOV
ing and turning and stretching and twist
ing as nature lntended them 10 do, and
the teachers, instead of attempting 10
check their growth and preserve an i'm
possible discipline, winch hampers aud
dwarfs the mind and body use even these
evidences OF restiessness az lessons. Tne
children in the Washington primary
schools know why they stretch. and cs1
tell you tue names OF the muscles where
relief Is felt. Their textbook is hound
~ ~ green ana p.ue, and contains inDU-
mefaDle, eVeF-changing Illustrations OF
every conceivable design and color
SWeet-Volced aXlCms sing to them from
the trees. They gather a nOsegay of Ies-
sons irom the borders Of the walk. Tho
money 1suckle, the hOp-tOad, and the wand
slip them ponies as they pass and not
a enid Of them all can play hockey. for
ihe EARN ~ their school, ana all that Il
~ IN II are their instructors. There are 10
cases OF truancy IN Washington. Tbjs is
not because the children there are more
studiou9 ana sedate than the youth Of
olher tlmes, nor has the swimming hoIe
t oE the Tree run Of woods ana fields. tse
den things lost any OF he 0fi rbaro, fa..
them. The children Of this dav are nor
conforming to the customs of the world
IJSl DIt the world Is more and more recoe-
nlzihs inc nature and instincts OF cbN-
dIen ana bringing itself into harmon,
win lhem- Perhaps IL is. for this r.a-
soh, becoming more Ike the kipgdoJg Of
HeaFeh, Ieachers everywhere arc seek
that tempt him. ''S'
The child Is born" saws Supt Powell
oi tHe washington public schools AUftn
az strong an impulse % know. and 10 a.
- - lhe impulse 20 eat to see and en-
JOY Ihey are Identical IL Is alike hi.
nature 70 receive and 70 give II Is -
Necessary Tor him 20 give as 20 get. 81.
- porn INTO the present altruistlc IDEAS
t!io "a We need ouly cultivate kin 10 Tnake
nun an altruistic citizen. The true Ynefb06
OF educatlon h that By which nothing h
toIfed ed upon him. By which everything h
ouBhi 70 hihn naturally, easily and lov.
lnsly. The mind grows by its ozn e,er-
else. as the body grows and uSsn a..
conditions OF development are underetood
asa met, health and happiness are a bsrf
ot the process. We Take these chFf8r5-,,
by the hand and lead them into s0clety
instead OF putting them on a bencb s,1,i
IofSlnE tnem TO commit TO memory the
- - > Ne take them 10 the woods
anu heids, the Smithsonian, the Uark ~
congress. the factories, the marke, .nd
me LCpicFlcai GaT1en. I en- uow rDesk-
Ing Of the younger children. Hnosa f1fs,-
pIetng nucleii are starting: when fhesa
nave Deen established, ne give them also
the experience a. otheFs.
We c:rdY the government Of ftls 49,,
IN our Urinary schools. IN the first nlseS
We stIdy school government Who l. fhs
superintendent Who Iasz him. Hoyg
mUch money does he getE Then The ne4f
step; VINO appoints the supervising prfn-
eip4lsE WHO is our teacher? Why Should
We mind herr Whom must she ,o1,ds -
must mind the supeTlntsnSenf ,bc -,
{ pals, and the board OF edaestlon. And
lne Doafd OF education must MIND ghsfny
NJ mtmDers are appointed by the Cof8-
iAlAaionffs and the Commissioner 80
appohtso ~ Ire President. and the Pres
'asht Is elected sy the people"