Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-24
FOLLY OF SPARIyC THE ROD
New York Teachers Hold Stern Measures
Necessary for Refractory Pupils
PERSONAL INFLUENCE FAILS TO MPREs;
The Good Old Way of B~nfOrcinR
Obedience should De Restored
Are school ChiIdren
OverworkedR

effective means of impressing refractory
pupils with the Importance of obedience
and good behavior. The report says in
part:
The subject Of discipline, which in our
opinion is of the most vital Importance to
the welfare of our public school system,
calls most urgently for a modification Of
the laws governing 1t; for 1t is our belief,
based on observation and experience ex-
tending over a number Of years, that the
means at our command for disciplinlng the
unruly pupils of our public schools are in
adequate. We, therefore, beg leave to sub
init:
II. We are In accord with the general
spirit Of the laws governing punishments Of
refractory pupils; at the same time we must
confess that there are children In our public
schools upon whom the prevailing method
OF discipline has not the corrective influence
It Is intended to have
III. We feel justified in recommending for
these pupils sterner measures. for the fol-
lowing reasons:
Il. Every child, no matter how perverse
he is, has the right to demand of us, as the
chief element of his future welfare, that we
train him to a wholesome respect for law.
Training implies power to enforce obedi-
ence.
~. The chiid's right is our duty, from
which we are not absolved by the mere plea
of sentiment.
ut is unjust repeatedly to subject the
well behaved children to the communicating
influence Of one or two of their classmates,
for each act of disobedience or Of unseemly
behavior leaves its impress upon the minds
and characters OF the youthful observers of
1t. The unruly children of the class, aking
advantage of the limitations upon the pow
ers of the teachers. waste the time of other
pupils, make class management a difncult
task and In many instances conduct them
selves toward teachers in a manner that
would not be tolerated outside Of a public
schoel building.
we would, therefore. respectfully recon-
mend that any pupil who. upon trial by
the proper authorities, is adjudged unamen-
able to the prevailing method Of discipline,
shall thereafter be deemed subject, to cor
poral punishment, to be administered by
the principal or by some teacher designated
by him.
I'm regard to ~truancy, 1t is our expert
ence that the past operation Of the law has
been Ineffective and that under 1t the evil
has increased rather than diminished.
Radical Remedy.
"A very small proportion Of the truants
are admitted to the truant school and Of
these very few are reformed. The small
proportion of committals has left many
cases wholly unchecked and these have, by
m so infected others that the num-
Der OF truants has been constantly increas-
ing. The period of restraint is generally
less than that during which the habit Of
truaney was being acquired and this has
proved insufficient to prevent a relapse.
1 oRaO~o NAA 1880
of truancy from those who are not strong
enough to Withstand temptation Is not the
final or the worst result. Familiarized with
the unpublished violation Of one law, the
truants in our schools too often become
violators of others, finally appearing at this
bar Of the criminal court.
ITO remedy these defects we submit:
Il. That a sufficient number of attend
ance officers should be provided to admit
of the prompt investigation of every case
reported.
"2. That the entire magisterial powers in
cases of truancy should be lodged with the
district superintendents, VIC should have
power
ITO commit for n hearing on charges by
the principal or other person.
ITO commit after a hearing with or with
out the parental consent.
ITO compel the attendance of parents at
hearings.
ITO fine parents who neglect their duties
| unuor the law. But Ln0 HllIliLluLu Iiic
should be less than at present.
"3. That permanent provision should be
made for the accommodation of 1900 tru-
ants, and that the existing institutions of
correction should be used as a temporary
esource to supply the present or any fu-
ture deficiencies"
school Children O~verwOrked.
A committee Of the Philadelphia Board of
Education is investigating the charge that
the pupils of the public schools are being
overworked. Commenting on the charge
the Philadelphia Inquirer says:
The Inquirer speaks with knowledge
when 1t says that the statements alleged in
the protest are true, at least measurably,
so far as 1t has come within our observa-
ton, and we are willing to believe that
nothing less than the truth has been stated.
There is q call for reform and we are quite
aware that It will require much wisdom to
direct such changes as ought to be made
VIVA the public feels Is that the schools
are not at present accomplishing as much
as they should for the children committed
to their care. We do not mean to say that
much good is not being done; we believe
that great ends are being measurably &C
complished; but he is blind who thinks
that Just now we are doing what We should
| anu tins AA GPANO va AN SOW
are held up as a model in many parts OF
the country. 1t is never wise to be satisfied
with human effort, and at present there Is
much that Is far from satisfactory, though
we feel that those in charge are willing to
do the best they can.
Public school children are now asked Il
do too much both in amount and in char
acter. They are required to do an amount
OF home work which is beyond the neces
stiles Of the occasion, and which is often 6
distinct loss mentally and physically to the
child. Formerly 1t was said that there wal
too much Of book teaching in the schools
now there is entirely too little. We are at
tempting to do the impossible, and this re
quires extraordinary and improper means
Thirty years ago the child went to thu
public schools provided with books and wal
instructed in reading, writing, arithmetic
geography and grammar. with at the las
some teaching OF history. 1t was claime'
that memory was made the only test, AM
hat results attained were unsatisfying
This may nave been the case In spite o
the fact that every successful man Of
today vent through that process.