The evening times., 1900-06-30
Unnecessary work in school.

Unnecessary Work in school.
The spectacle Of school children march
ed odt in the narrow streets Of Boston to
welcome Dewey. and nearly crushed in the
I frantic crowds, provoked Mrs. Martha
Baker Dunn 10 this reflection in the July
Atlantic
Every one Of those children was legally entitled
10 two parents There must be some use for par
ents in the everlasting economy OF things though
many OF them don't seem to suspect To-. II the
time ever comes when the enriched natural his
tory courses demand that the pgpil shall be sent
into Wild beasts cages IN order 20 observe tn,ir
habits. II IS the teacher who will be doomed 10
accompany them And II during the visit the lion
gins to lick his chops and demand food, il Is
the teacher who viii be expected 10 come cheer
tully 10 the front and say, Eat mc' "
Mrs. Dunn is inclined to think that the
teacher Of the present day has altogether
too much to GO-not in the way OF nee
essary and benefcent teaching but in ways
that do not particularly help the general
progress of the Republic or-of the child
/ The same conviction has forced itself upon
the minds of various observers Of affairs in
Washington. II behooyes the new Board
OF Edu-ation TO consider most seriously
how much OF the present numbering currI-
culum Of the public schools, and how many
Of the extraneous doings now forced upon
the teachers, they can manage to leave out
in the Encouragement Of things.
Mrs. Dunn's hint that there must be
some use for parents in the general econo-
my is worth considering seriously. Thers
seems to be tendency at present to make
the teacher in the public schools rsspoDsi-
bic for the mental, moral, and physical
development Of the child. for social and
ethical as well as intellectual growth. This
may be necessary in some towns. but not
in Washington. The average parent in this
city is not so overworked as to have no
time whatever to spare for bringing a child
up in the way it Should go There are
probably few children in the public schools
who cannot see the Geological Gardens. the
Congressional Library, or Congress in sss-
sion, at as early an age as they ought to
see them. without having a specially or
ganized expedition in charge of the teach
er. to attend to the matter.
Along with the shifting Of the parents
burdens upon the teacher comes a move
ment in the other direction. Some rar-
dren are forever bringing them questions
in botany. grammar, history, or physics
which they cannot answer and the rea-
son given for this is that they have les
sons which they are supposed to study at
home, with the help of their parents. The
complaint Of parents who are thus Te-
quired to do some OF the work which they
are paying others to DO for them is per
fectly just. There is no reason why apy
child under twelve should have lessons to
study at home. if a proper number of
hours be spent in the schoolroom. In the
old-fashioned school. children were in
their seats at nine: they had a recess Of
fifteen minutes at half-past ten or there
abouts; and they left the schoolroor, ar
twelve for luncheon. At one or half-past
one they came TO the afternoon session
vhich, with short recess in the middle
ended at four. They were thus kept ont
OF the streets and out Of mischief r1ost
Of the day. No child able to attend school
at all is likely to break down under that
regimen; and in session OF this length
Eve days in a week, thirty-six weeks in
a year. it is possible to teach child or
average intelligefce all it actually needs
to know TO get on in the world. One
trouble in the Washington schools at pres
ent is that there are not enough build
ings to accommodate all the children Of
school age. There should be- There
should also be free kindergaT rs, not SO
much as preparation for the public
schools as for the purpose of keeping very
small children out Of the streets and al
ieys and under good influences until the
time comes for them to attend the pri-
mary schools. But the unnecessary teach
ing Of higher branches" which can result
only in a smattering of knowledge. should
be abolished suddenly and at once. Let
the money that is spent on extras be
spent where it will count-on the kinder