The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-09-09
Physical Training
for Lille Girls
DIR. Richard Cole Newton, OF Montclair,
N. j., in the Medical Record.

III. hlCHdTu SOle NEWTON, or MOntCla1r,
N. j., in the Medical Record.
\ GREAT deal has been said and
~ written of late in regard to the
4 hygiene of school life. 1t seems
to be generally conceded that the
health of many scholars Is injured by their
school work, and there is a growing ten
dency to blame the teachers for driving
the pupils beyond the limit of their
strength. AS the writer has from time to
time looked over the educational field for
about thirty years. and was himself at
one time teacher. he naturally takes
considerable interest in this very i'm
portant question.
While it seems that teachers are fire.
quently TO blame for urging children to
study beyond their strength, this mis-
take would appear to be, in a measure at
least, in consequence of ignorance of the
limits beyond which the delicate organ
ization of the growing child should not
be urged. Teachers themselves appear to
need more thorough education in hygiene
and physiology, as well as in physical
training.
On the other hand, there Is no question
that they are often far less to blame for
pushing their scholars too fast than the
parents. and, in some cases. the children
themselves. The giving of prizes and
marking the scholars comparatively so
that the spirit of rivalry and emulation
is excited Is distinctly bad; and as this
has apparently always been a prominent
feature of our public school education Its
evil influences are everywhere apparent;
although fortunately the perniclous prac-
tice of melting scholars to do well for
the sake of surprising their colleagues is
now being superseded; publishing graded
marks, giving prizes, etc. having been so
largely abolished
Now, however, the parents and the
children are constantly menaced with the
fear that the latter will not be promoted
at the end of the year. and II any one
fails of promotion he fears that the fin
ger Of scorn will be pointed at him, and
his parents act as though they feared a
loss of social prestige If their offspring
should be set back year. 1t seems
probable, however. that the baleful in
fluence of parental vanity can be meas
ureably overcome by appeals to reason
and moderation People must be made to
understand that it is no disgrace II their
children are not so strong nor so recep-
tive as their neighbor's child. 1t will be
an immense gain when the parents shall
be made to understand that the mental
vigor depends largely upon the bodily
health.
BY taking thought we cannot add a
cubit to our chldren's intellectual stat
ure, any more than we can to their bodily
stature. The chid's mind must not be
stretched to fit the system but his intel
lectual capacity must be carefully
weighed and measured, and he must take
that place I'm the graded school which
he Is capable of filling.
Amongst others, Edward Everett Hale
has recently inveighed against 'the
mechanism of the public schools" But
1t must be borne in mind that the pub
lie schools are fulfilling "a great func-
tion in trying out and classifying their
scholars. Hard rs the system may seem
to be in certain cases, 1t is, on the whole
a good and beneficent system; although
1t may seem needlessly harsh to the par
ents of weak and dull scholars. still II
must be admitted to be great and last
Ing advantage to ascertain the mental
and bodily limitations of every scholar
as early as possible and upon this foun-
daton to proceed to build up his educa-
tion In the most judicious manner. Ing
stead of condemning and antagonizing
the teachers, parents should cooperate
with them, by carefully watching their
children, and by comforting with the
teachers they can ascertain whether the
former are working up to the limit Of
their strength or beyond II, or whether
on the other hand. they are sighting
their work. This am satisfied, only COM
paratiyely few parents do systematically
and much of the dissatisfaction which is
expressed against .he school is really the
fault OF the parents; and, furthermore,
the bitterest and most vehement COM
plants come from parents who really un-
derstand least about the matter
My own experience. and presume that
of others also. leads 10 the conclusion
that the school work bears much harder
upon girls than upon boys. While there
are. so far as ! know, no available sta
tistics relating to the point l dare say
that no one will dispute this assertion.
Admitting, for the sake of argument,
that It is desirable and proper for girls
to go through our public grammar and
high schools. and to take the same
courses as the boys. how are we to pre-
vent the injury to their health which
many OF them sustain while doing this?
While the question Is difficult one to
answer. it's great Importance will pre-
sumaoly lend interest to certain sugges-
tions upon the subject
In the first place. girls have q de-