The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1901-10-07
The Short Dinner Hour.
Editor Ardmoreite;

fHt OUOiA OflNNN
Editor Ardmoreite:
Is the recent rule of the Board of
Education limiting the luncheon time
at noon to twenty minutes conducive
to the best interest of the pupil the
parent. the teacher and the public?
To this interrogation | take the mega
tive view.
!. It is a scientific fact long estab.
lished that exercise to the growing
child is what nitrogen Is to the grow
ing plant; without either each is i'm.
capable to reach that state for which
nature designed it, Ga il be truthful
ly said that after three hours of close
confinement In cramped school room.
that twenty minutes-and much of
that time devoted to gulping food
be wisely regarded as sufficient time
to give proper physical exercise to
the growing muscles OF the child. and
ample recreation from mental appli-
cation
2. by this system the child may not
come in contact with its parents for
hours Especially In the lower grade
child potential with much affection,
ad tender age no, accustomed
to long absences from its parents; and
If this comparatively long absence is
inflicted upon him in the school room
he inevitably becomes listless. idle.
has an inaptitude for studious applica-
tion. and pensive longing for home
You may assert that the child soon be-
comes accustomed to this absen' from
home. but in reply to this it may be
said that It may DC at dangerous cost
of his being estrargsl I ON his hCmc
and many of its associations. Disci-
pline. moral influence. personal con
tact. suggestions. select remarks. en-
couragement-these the child receives
when he goes home at noontime. Tn
der the twenty minutes system he is
unable to- go home. Can it, therefore,
be logically said that the twenty min
utes idea is a wise one?
3. Under this system school is dis
missed about $3.50 o'clock. Where does
the ordinary boy naturally desire to
go after school hours but to the
streets with its destructive inhucncrs2
To satisfy these incilinaLi IN under
this rule he has neatly two hours more
A. Under the twenty minutes rule
the child with but little intermission
has more than five hours OF close con
fnement who can successfully main
tain that the average child from six
to ten years can with any fav )rable
degree of mental or physical com
fort withstand the teachers watchful
eye and strict discipline for this
length of time?
g. 1t certainly entails hardship up
onmothers to prepar luncheons fn' the
child to take with him to school. And
in addition to this a. the'G.,.' on hour
the poor child sees perhaps che most
elaborate menu of the wealthy child.
The former appreciates the poverty
its own. and realizes the dellcacies of
the poor child naturally feel little and
unequal resulting in a quiet sneaking
off to a secluded corner to its fru.
gal meal. In mild form. this may pro.
duce upon the part OF the less fortu-
nate a preiudiced and envious dispo-
sition against the wealthy. thus cor
rupting the mind of the former and
making more domineerng and naughty
the latter. And in an effort TO equal
the other in this respect the already
too lean purse may be too closely
drawn upon.
6. BY the twenty minute rule the
majority of the children will have TO
take their luncheon with them II
is a fact, sustained by abundance OF
scientific data. that ordinary food
placed in a compact form similar to
that OF dinner pail is decidedly un-
wholesome and unhealthy.
Z. Prominent educatlonalists have
advanced the idea that a child VIII
absorb more knowledge of text books
OF himself, of those around him and
of the world in a school room with
several pupils than alone under a pri-
vate tutor, because of the exchange Of
ideas with fellow pupils. 1t is for this
very reason that instead of the twenty
minutes an hour Or more should he
given at noon, in order that the child
rem may associate together each Civ
ing his own views regarding this or
that, or what not, making them broad
er and more thoroughly informed on
general affairs.