The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-09-01
Honolulu, August 20, 1903.

A public-school teacher of experience
and Judgment admitted to me con-
fidentially, not long ago, that the hope
and the aim of his work had been ito
kill as few of the children as possible"
This appalling admission reflects not
at all upon the teacher, but upon the
oublic-school system in which he was
doing his allotted part according 70
fixed and fatal laws.
In Batavia, New York, town of ten
thousand inhabitants, halfway be-
tween Rochester and Buffalo, a man
has arisen bold enough and resource
full enough to declare that the fatal
laws by which the modern Juggernaut
of the public-school system has been
governed are not fixed. This man has
even dared to say to his fellow -educa
tors: Come now; let US kill no chill
dren at all. 1 will show you a. more
excellent way" Furthermore, this
man has made good his promise; he
has shown the more excellent wav,
and the children of Batavia are no
longer killed all the day long, nor ac-
counted as sheep for the slaughter.
It happened in this wise. In the
year 1898 John Kennedy, Superintend-
before the school board and offered a
solution for a certain problem of
room containing too many scholars for
its teacher. which had been laid on
the table from time to time as vexed
question.
PERSONAL. INDIVIDUAL IN
STRUCTION IS OFTEN NEED
ED.
Gentlemen" said Mr.. Kennedy,
the solution which I have to offer
you for this overcrowded room is ex-
ceedingly simple, but it is perfectly
adequate, as / know three minutes
consideration will show you. l pro-
pose that, instead of tryin. to build
or hire or otherwise obtain extra
space, we at once put an extra teacher
into that room, not to hear classes, but
to give personal, individual instruc-
ton to the pupils who are falling be-
hind. This will not only provide for
the excess of pupils, but it will at the
same time bring up the grade of schol-
arship, and, most of ALL it will meet
the greatest need in the, present sys-
tenn of massing and CHASING
There was a pause, in which the
gentlemen of the board oondered the
suggestion seriously. Then the pres
ident said slowly: Mr. Kennedy, this
method of meeting our problem is of
far more than local and passing i'm
portance. 1t is not only revelation;
it is revolution
And revolution it has proved to
be-a bloodless and joyous and benefi-
cent revolution. as all Batavia citi-
zens are willing to witness. For the
experiment was immediately tried in
the one room with startling and in
Simultaneous success. The worn-out
teacher. who had been on the verge
of nervous prostration, suddenly found
that all the weak spots in her classes
were becoming the strong snots
There was nothing the matter nowl
She had no more nagging to do and
the children no more dragging. She
ceased corresponding with a sana-
torium and forgot her nervous system
entirely.
NO HOME STUD. FOR THESE
CHILDREN.
Meanwhile the change was far
greater in the children. Discourse
Treut the bane of public-scboo1 1ifa
disappeared from all faces and tears
from all eyes. 4 discouraged chiI5 is
almost always a rebeIlious child 4
beautiful spirit Of order and harmony