The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-18
CITIZENS in MAKING
DIFFICULTIES CONFRONTING TEACH
ERs In NEW YoRK's EAST SIDE.
Peculiar Prejudices Of Parents Among
the Foreign Element which
Must Be Respected.
New York Evening Pest.

The training OF future citizens Is the
first duty of the public schools. and the
work in that congested quarter OF this city
on the lower East Side, which reflects more
of the foreign than the American coloring
IN its population, its languages, and its
outdoor religious observances. presents
features unique in many respects. In this
quarter the schools are focal points OF
civilization. as well as centers OF the intel
lectual life of the neighborhood.
In the streets, even in the Fairgrounds
Of the schools, Yiddish east of the Bowery,
and Italian west OF the Bowery, often Join
with the latest slang to form the ordinary
language Of the youngest pupils. Upstairs
In the classrooms, all day long the teachers
are struggling to overcome these habits of
expression; and considering that the child
hears English for only five hours out of the
twenty-four, the results at the end Of the
fifth and sixth years of school life aie
wonderful. But these schools are centers.
of thought life in more ways than one.
The children who attend them are often
the teachers OF their parents, and hun
dreds OF Italian and Russian adults In
this foreign quarter are being taught daily
the rudiments of English through the
medium of their children.
This gives some slight idea of the inf1u-
ence of these institutions, but were We TO
stop there. possibly the best work of the
school would be lost. The principal and
teachers. supported at present by the
health officer, must deal with the question
OF cleanliness, not as a mere matter OF APP
pearance, but rather as absolute neces-
sity for the good health of the children.
This Is sometimes the most difficult task
OF them all. Only by insisting-doubly In
sisting-on clean hands and faces can the
teacher lay the foundation for habits of
cleanliness. The next step is to insist on
cOmbed hair. then on cleaned shoes or
boots. and IL Is not a rare sight in some
schools to see a monitor or teacher placed
at the entrance to the assembly room as
inspector-general of faces, hair, and shoes.
In no other respect does the influence of
the school tell more strongly than in this
matter of cleanliness. Visitors who are
taken to low primary classes first, and then
Immediately afterward taken to the high
est grammar grades. are astonished at the
difference. While in the lowest grades, a
glance shows how necessary is the eternal
vigilance OF the teacher, in the higher
grades one can see the effect of training
and habit Both boys and girls are equal
In appearance-eSpecially the girls-to the
pupils of similar grades in any quarter of
the city. OF course. many of them were
from the beginning carefully attended 10
at home, but many others. whose mothers
and fathers possibly went out to daily
work as the youngsters were getting up
Tor the day, acquired their habits through
compulsion and instStence.
SOME HAVE PRIVATE TUTORS.
There are many children in these schools
whose parents are really wealthy, conduct
ing good paying businesses. and owning the
great tenements in the neighborhood.
oh nOf mi h1It
even extensively dressed. and in most cases
have their private tutors after p. m. in
music and foreign languages. Even the
children OF the much poorer parents to a
great extent take private lessons in instru-
mental music; the piano for girls, the vio-
lin and mandolin, among the Italians, for
boys.
\ few other facts concerning the children
of this quarter are interesting. They are
all orthodox. On the regular Jewish holi-
days not many but all remain away from
school, while the case is somewhat diff
ferent on the upper West Side, where a
large percentage of the school population is
Jewish.
This orthodoxy. however is not confined
to the Hebrew children. In those quarters
west of the Bowery where Italians FREEDOM.
mate every saints day is observed, not by
many of the Italian children, but by all.
With the child of such habits. of such
traditions and OF such environment the
public school I'm this quarter deals; and the
speaking a correct English. having an am.
bition to amount to something beyond the
limitations of their parents, and inspired
with a patriotic spirit. is certainly one OF
the biggest problems that the municipality
has to solve. And no one familiar with the
work of the public schools in this quarter
will deny that the solution is successfully
accomplished.
At first glance one would imagine thai
the most difficult task in such schoo
would be the maintenance OF good order
% e ~ loS
phase OF the teachers work. These chill
dren are generally respectful and obedent
looking up to their teachers models IL
manners. education and position.
The instruction, not the discipline, Is the
difficult task in this neighborhood. Nearly
all the work must be done in school anC
the methods 70, developing such children
are in some respects different from those
followed in other parts OF the city.
First in interest in this citizenship train
ing is the work in civics and the history o.
the United States. In addition TO the reg
ular class work in these subjects this train
pieces at the mornins assemblies. the P. sing
Ing or patriotic songs, and the daily salute
10 the flag.
TEACHING PATRIOTISM.
AS one OF the best means of rousng tn,
patriotic sentiment the principal endeavor.
to make the special exercises in honor O.
national holidays the red-letter days of tn,
school life During the last five years tn,
speakers at these exercises have been sucl
men as Major General Howard, Gen. Alder
d. Shaw, National Commander of G. A. r.
the Rev. Father Mclaughlin, Gen. Georg
b. Loud. Gen. Henry z. Tremain, Col
Joseph A. Goulden and Col. A. p. Ketchum
On the occasion of General Shaw's visi
to the school after delivering the address
on Washington, he was moved by tn
flag salute and singing that he wrote II
the visitors book: Il have been greatly i'm
pressed by all have seen, and the happ.
and neat appearance of the boys and girl
touch me deeply. Such schools as thes
are the nurseries of the nation, and tn
safeguards of our civilization"
In the work in civics IL is interesting {
note the practical knowledge of polite
the children have. Three out OF four pu
pills Ia the higher grades know the name
or the assemblymen, aldermen and sena
tor or the district, not TO forget the dstric
leader They usually speak of these me
by their first names. They know about tn
primary fights for leadership, and IL 1
amusing to hear the heated arguments tina
take place between the partisans aroun
election time.
On one occasion the principal was visite
by parent before promotion time TIL
parent was very anxious about his SON
promotion. and the teacher was asked [
furnish the boys record for the term Tn
record being good the parent was informe
that his boy would probably be promoted
The father then handed a sealed envelop
TO the principal, and after profusive thank
ings started 10 leave the school, On open
found inside. When the parent was calIe
hack and informed that St,cb antfor NO