Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-01-23
School Work and Might Work. J"

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some methods Of school work has two
special criticisms-the requirement
for writing number combinations aud
night work. Concerning the first it
is possible that the teacher has some
precedent. We understand that the
text book adopted by the incompetent
or careless text book board appointed
by Gov. Leedy has such idiotic re-
ouirements. II so 1t is the teachers
plain duty to refuse to inaict such
nonsense on the children. Just be-
cause the poorest school books on
earth we're forced on the Kansas chill.
dren no teacher is compelled to follow
them implicitly. Making 100 combi'
nations out Of the figures in 1873 is
not likely to do any child good.
School work should mean something.
1t should build up, not exhaust; en-
courage and exhilerate, not deaden
and dishearten.
Supt. Niesley does not endorse nor
authorize any such method but be
cannot supervise in person all the
work all the time. Some latitude
must be allowed the teachers. They
should use it with thoughtfulness
and with due recognition OF the
limitations OF the child mind. 1t is
so easy to over-tax the youthful
brains and so hard to undo an injury
that results from requiring too much
or maniiestly unsuitable work
For might work" for children
under Is years Of age there is abso-
lutely no excuse. Indeed 1t is held
by most thoughtful persons to be lit
tie short OF criminal. 1t exhausts an
adult to do 5! hours original work at
a desk a day. This does not mean
mere clerical or mechanical work but
thought.work. For the children
every lesson is brain-wearing. It's
an excursion into new field and the
little minds and bodies should never
be over burdened.
But" says the teacher, ut we 40
not give night work and compel the
pupils to do 1t, we can not get through
the course Of study" Then there is
something the matter with the course
OF study or the teaching There are
better things in this world than
"grades" or franks" or memorized
lists OF the productions Of Argen-
tina. Health is one OF them-and the
chief Of them.
In the Ladies Home Journal for
January is a page Of excerpts from
letters received by the editor OF that
paper from parents all over the coun'
try, which indicate that the evil is
wide spread Here are a few OF them
"0ur daughter Of fifteen broke
down; q schoolmate, an orphan. with
no one to look after her, broke down,
continued in school, and died."
"Of five children have had to take
three out Of school almost broken be-
yond repair"
zone year Of study and my boy Of
eigh. had to be taken from school"
"Compelled to bring home long
lesson egary evening, after being lin
school from nine to four, have just
taken my little girl Of eleven out OF
the public school,"
"Clever as he is, my little boy OF
ten cannot master the lessons he
brings home, although he works until
nine every evening. Repeated head
aches decided us yesterday to take
him out Of school,
What the children need is play and
romp and sunshine. Make them
strong men and women and lot the
rivers that rise in Idaho and the boun-
| diaries Of Beloochistan, and the mum.
Der OF possible combinations in 1882
20 to the waste basket. Most OF the
grown people don't know about them
and don't care and why make the
children learn them by staying after
school" "nightwork" or punishment
II we were q member Of the board
OF education we would vote for an
iron.clad rule forbidding any teacher
giving any child under Is night work
land with Limitations above that age)
or keeping any child after school
hours for punishment for not having
perfect lessons. II the board would
adopt that rule the fathers and