The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1901-12-28
SATURDAY. DECEMBER 2s, 1901.
SHORTER SCHOOL HOURS.

A prominent educs<or who has no
interest in the outcome of the one see
sion question now being discussed by
members Of the board of education, the
children, and the latter's parents, says
that so far as he.can sec, there is moth
ing for the pupils to gain by having
shorter school hours II would give
them more time to study their lessons
at home, assuming that they would so
utilize the time, butF il would give
them less time TO study their lessons
at school under the direction of the
teacher. Il would save them trip
home for dinner and return, but at
the same time it would deprive them
of the ttoreation and exercise OF going
home to dinner, which Is always re-
freshing and enables them to return
and do much more work. If the
schools dismiss two hours earlier. at
2 ?. M, it will mean that the time
Of the higher grades Will be almost
entirely consumed in the recitation Of
lessons. They will have little or no
time to study at school, under the
teachers suggestion and direction,
but win have TO do it at home, which
in all probability they would not do.
II they did, however, it woald require
time and work, and so long as it
would require time and work, it might
as well be ut school where there would
be nothing else to do, with a teacher
TO see that they do it,
While shorter school hours might be
advisable for some reasons. there are
vastly more why thoy are not sdvisa-
BILE. The more work children do, the
stronger they become, and the greater
their capacity for work, whether men
tai or physical It DEVELOPS them
just as exercise does. The recesses
and interim for dinner furnish ade-
quste relief from the tedium of
school and study, and the walk to
dinner except perhaps in very bad
weather, is good for the system.
To shorten the school hours, while
seemingly comforting benefit on the
school children, would pes1ly be dis
II would crowd their reci-
sstions close on one another with no
way TO prepare for them except by
studying &C home. Any bog or girl
who has been to school and had .
hsme, knows that this is often entire
ly out Of the question And whom he
studies at home he often cannot make
As good job out Of il as he might at
schoal, where he has the teacher 60
suggest, explain or compel. To cur
tail tbs school hours means to curtail
other things. What are they? Study,
recitation, play, or what? Will the
pupil gain or lose by it? II he gets
oNt VI bOhOOA taIAlcIf NHht VIII ne 90
with his extra time, and will he run
the streets, IL boy, and make him
self public Nuisance, or go to the
to play dolls, If a girls II
he studies, might he not as well be at
SCHOOL,
IL the one session. or dismissal at 2
o'clock idea is to be considered would
it not, before adopting it. be advisa-
Die to hear from the parents who
would have 20 give their children cold
linners. keep dinner warm, or have It
wo hours later, any one Of which q,
'lans would be bad enoughg Are /
heir wishes not TO be consulted? Are /,
he teachers sgitating this plan simply
ecauE it would reduce their hours Of
york If the board of education d
nould sngg'et that their salaries he
havol down to conform to thor re-. q
uction in hours, wodld they be 90 60
Enthusiastically in favor OF it,