Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1901-01-31
Bellows Falls Times
THURSDAY, JANUARY 81, 1901.
NEWS IN GENERAL.
Social Folly in Our Public Schools.

The following from The Guidon, the
Catholic monthly published at Manchester,
N. H, should be read carefully by parents,
te achers and school officials. 1t contains
food for reflection.
We read with interest recently a vigor-
ous pro est from neighboring city on the
social folly that is lately dew loped in our
public schools. The abuse Of which the
writer complains is not confined to hl, To-
cality, but is found in almost every New
England city and town. 1t apples more
particularly to our high school, and ac-
counts in part for the poor results that are
there attained. 1t is bad enough to multi
ply studies out of all reason, to introduce
every passing fai INTO the curriculum, to
fglect essentials s reading, writing and
arithmetic, but to fill the heads of the pu-
pills with social nonsense, and to raise their
thoughts and ambitions from their books i,
a matter of grave concern. No pains Or
expense are spared to provide a beautiful
building with all conver fences for study to
this corps lite, this FIVE per cent of our
school children who can = fl lrd the luxury
of high school education, and we have q
right to expect something IN return by way
of we'll trained minds and we'll formed
characters. Yet the best friends of the
system cannot but be disappointed with the
results.
We know that it is as easy as it is a
thankless task to point defec's and to find
fault but at the ri,k of being called 'tus.y"
and "censorlous," in all charity we call at
tention to this practice that has crept into
our public school lite and does incalculable
harm to our children. Thee is altogether
too much social nonsense. There are re-
ceptions, clss, reunions, social dances,
church entertainments, private partie S sub
scription balls, and similar entertainments
without number. What can be expected
from pupils whose strength is wasted, whore
imagination is excited, and whose nervous
vitality is exhausted by round of dissipa-
ton that would undermine the constitution
it is not to be wondered that study be-
comes irksome, that school work is ne
elected, that results are unsatisfactory, and
that many never complete the course at all
How could it be otherwieeP This is time
when our young folks ought to be surround
ed with all the good il fuence possible. 1t
Is time when their habits are formed for
life. 1t is then that the boy becomes seri-
Gus and srudious, that the girl develops
tact ard good breeding. Who of us ever
attended these "social functions" of our
high schools, and did not sigh for the time
when "boys were boys and girls were
girsp" Instead there were little misses
hardly out of short skirts with all the airs
of Ia grands dame, and our boys with all
the manners OF the great gawk.
Give us little more simplicity in these
matters. Let us get back to first princi-
Piles and remember that schools are for
study and not for play nor display that
the health Of our children is a grave con-
Germ that sound mind in a sound body
with little delicacy of soul is worth more
than all the social nonsense in the world.