The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-31

means of doing so except by voting il
the only way which can possibly be ef-
fective.' Their influence will be felt al
| the polls next Tuesday.
Educational Fnds In brooklyn.
| The teachers in the Brooklyn public
schools are justly indignant over some re-
cent orders which have been given out BY
the school board. Brooklyn is said, by
those who know, 20 be the happy hunting
| ground of educational fads. and if any
more wonderful specimens of these prod
ucts exist than are described in the orders
referred to. they must be found in Mr.
| Gulliyer's account OF his travels in far
lands. The New York Sun" says. in its
report of the instructions of the board:
within week new orders have been issued
| in regard to physical training, which have made
some of the teachers feel keenly ridiculous and
| have led them TO denounce bitterly the persons
responsible for the introduction of the latest fad.
| The worst of the orders is in regard to
physical training exercise officially known as
Jumping, Desk and Balance Beam Exercises
Each teacher who has been directed TO introduce
these exercises in her classroom has received a
book of instructions, which explains to her how
she must illustrate to her class the manner in
Among ether things she * supposed to lie fiat on
her desk and give illustration of swimming.
This Is the last SRA I'D SO long as there Is 1
chance Of the male janitor walking in while they
doing the desk act they vow solemnly that
they Will not obey orders.
First Of all the book of instructions tells the
teacher that she must st:rd on her toes with her
hEees bent, like kangaroo ready to leap, and
then shou: 'one.' Then all the members of her
class must do the same. Next She must straight
IN her knees. put her heels down and get back on
her toes. Tia; l. not so bad
But that is rot all OF 1t. 1t used to be
supposed By the old-fashioned school ST.
perintendent that children did enough hop
ping and running during their hours Of
recreation to satisfy the needs of the hu-
man body and that in school they should
keep still. But the modern child. or the
modern superintendent, seems to be diff
ferert.
'orders No ! to 10 relate to jumping, and
direct the teacher to hop around. This The
teachers say will be likely to cause drop in
skirts. Order No. II relates 10 running
- Close the fsts and bond the elbows. Allow
the arms TO work freely. Run on the toes Al
ways close the run with plain walk in grad
usly retarded time until the breathing is nor
should be excluded from the run. The length of
the run should be I,cyerned by a majority Of the
class: weaker pupils should drop out Of line as
they become fatgucd and walk until the class re-
sumes the plain march. when they should fall
into their usual places in line -
But even this is not all. The teacher is
supposed, during the desk exercises" to
teach the pupil how to row boat, to tread
water, and 10 swim. Thus the children
will almost literally be required TO obey
the ironical old proverb. which says
Don't go near the water till you have learned
TO swim
In another order these Instructions are
given TO the teacher:
..Place the hands on the seat and chair back.
rise the toes and bend the knees; vault
over the seat, landing on the toes with bent
knees"
This sounds like a training school for
the circus But it is not. 1t is part OF a
circular addressed to a company of Brock
yn school teachers, some of whom are
itaid and specialized women. on the shady
side of forty. teaching mixed schools of
pupils between the eyes OF tea and fifteen.
I seems to be conclusive proof that there
s no such thing as sense of humor in |
In the average school this exer-
Use would be given once. and then the |
cbool would break up in o hubbub of wild .
nirth
The teachers say that their hours are 50
AIKEN up even now with sewing. drawing
iusc. hygiene, clay modelling and paper
utting. that they have no time to teach
be children TO read, write, and do sums
4 arithmetic. This makes the parents
ross, and as the board determines tn.
sacher's standing not by her success in
hich her pupils make In solid work, the
rstem is one full of distraction and nerv-
Us prostration for that unfortunate wo-
an. 1t is an unhappy situation all around
1t is time for the public school cranks in
lis country to understand that the COM
on school is not the place for children
learn everything that can be taught. II
ten, TO read, write, and Use the first four
lies of arithmetic with perfect under
anding, il is about all that can be ex- {
.cted. Such time IS is left after this in +;
ruction is given can easily be filed by
~ teacher of average intelligence with
ercises and lectures. which Will increase
c child's stock of general information. :.
iere is no sense in teaching drawing in
e schools, or music. with the exception
certain rudiments. Three fourths of the
iidren Will have no use for these things.
ID they cannot learn them with any
oroughness without taking time which .
orld be given 20 more important sub u
ITS. II they draw anything, let them :,
aw maps; that is a useful way TO fix the \
times Of country in ones mind II c
ey sing. let The singing be Of kind I!
itch will be easy for them &c learn. c
ose of them who have real talent for il
Isle can receive instruction outside the
ioois. and the money which is spent in =
ching al! the children little of every :,
ng might much more probably be spent ;,
establishing free night schools where n
use with some special talent could get i