Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-21
A IN SCHOOL.
Protest Against Forced Mental Eff
forts in Primary Grades.
Philadelphia Record. .

A superintendent Of schools is quoted to
the effect that four hours in school a day is
enough for children 6 years of age and I'M
der. Four hours a day in school is a great
deal more than is good for children OF that
age. In the primary departments Of the
public schools the instruction is not after
the manner of the kindergartens. The
children are required to make q distinct
mental effort in circumstances which are
unfavorable to their mental growth. Dis
cipline even in the primary department con-
tinues to be a fetch, and the ideal teacher
is one who can prevent the restless little
ones from moving in their seats, whisper
ing and allowing their attention to wander.
A child Of 6 is still a good deal Of an in
FAINT, and has the infants impatience OF
restraint.
Even when the primary pupil is inter-
ested in the instruction (which is rarely
the case in the public schools) four hours
of confinement, including the brie. and
too infrequent recesses, is enough to dwarf
its intellect. When it 10 necessary to
force its attention to the lessons, which are
forbidden in the manner Of teaching, the
four-hour session is equal to eight hours OF
severe mental application by an adult.
That is, It is exhausting. Persons who
have made a study Of children lean to the
idea that their tender brains are best
served by very brief periods Of instruction
| with long intervals Of play. The little
brain is usually busy enough In acquiring
the education OF circumstances or in APP
propriating the information which it meets
in its every waking moment Many OF the
children OF 6 years are sent to school sim
ply to be got rid Of and since the state
permits this the teacher would best serve
humanity by assuming the role OF nurse
rather thar that OF q teacher OF certain
serious studies.
superintendent skinner Of New York
state, has affirmed that the young are con-
stantly overtaxed in the schools, and that
/ the usual course OF study Is enough TO &C
count for the cases Of i'll health and OF
mental debility. 1t is the declaration OF
Prof. Balm. who speaks with authority and
after practical experiment, that every
minute spent in study beyond a certain
limit is worse than wasted; that for q
time the fresh brain is in q receptive
condition, but when the child ceases to
take a lively pleasure In study II is mis-
chievous to attempt to teach 1t further,
Superintendent Skinner has said tina
much Of what is included in the present
e~xacting courses Of study sis in no way
essential to a thorough groundwork for {
child's education" and that in ever
grade, from the lowest to the highest
there are too many studies. 1t is espec'
tally dangerous 10 the future Of mere ba
bies Of 6 years to force their attention Il
text book matters and to compel them tC
silence during four consecutive hours eaci
school day.
Unfortunately. the protests OF schoo
superintendents, which are ignored b!
school boards, do not fall into the hand
Of parents. 1t is strange that the mem
beers Of school boards usually believe tina
the only limit to the acquisition OF knowl
edge by the child is the time habit-tha
It can learn things as long as II may b
compelled TO study. Therefore their op
position 10 fewer school hours a day an
TO further holidays. Every brain worke
knows that by frequent rests he can &C
complish more than by an uninterrupte'
application Of his mind 10 any work. ]
Is only by arousing parents to the dan
gers Of over-study that the intelligen
teachers can bring a wholesome inhuene
to bear on the school board.