The Republican journal., 1903-10-15
Bath and Waterville have returned

Bath and Waterville have returned
to the two-session plan for their High
schools. The Bath Times, which does
not approve of the change, says: "The
list of places that run High schools on
the single session of four and one half
hours plan includes all the cities of the
State and most of the larger country
town." It is safe to aythat the teach
ers and pupils everywhere will be found
unanimous in favor of the one session;
| but we are inclined to think that If a
vote of the parents could be had it
would show majority against it. The
one-session plan is all right in theory.
The pupils are supposed to devote at
| least the time of an afternoon session
! to quiet study at their homes; but it is
quite certain that many are not thus
profitably employed. Twenty-Five and
one-half hours work per week in the
school room may not seem much time
to devote to study, but it is in line with
the shortening of the hours of labor in
other directions. The laborer and me-
chanic used to work from daylight until
dark. Then we had the ten hour, the
nine hour and now have the eight hour
day. The old-time clergymen used to
preach three times on Sunday-and the
sermons were long-but now many
churches have but one Sunday service
and the pastors have vacation each
year of from one to three months. Va
cations were unknown to the old-time
! preachers But to return to the
schools. The Waterville correspond
ent of the Bangor Daily News thus
summarizes the reasons for return to
the two sessions in that city:
The Board of Education holds that
there are several good reasons why the
J old style should be resumed. 1t is al
legged that the younger classes are
crowded too hard in being compelled to
do days work in but half a day; the
children are required to be in the
school room at eight o'clock, and that
this is too early; the children are re-
; Quired to remain in school, With the
usual ten minute recess, until one
o'clock, and most of the families to
which they belong serve dinner at
prompt twelve, noon, the children being
| food; that the study at home rule of
! the school is not faithfully followed by
many of the scholars as shown by the
number promenading the city streets
every afternoon; that while some schol-
ars do so study at home they could as
well study in the school room, and thus,
DO injury being done them, the others
can be better taken care of and the
greatest good to all will come out of
the rev plan.
Loretto S. Metcalf, member of the
Bath School Board, defends its action
| in communication to the Bath Times,
in which he says:
AS for myself, in connection with the
matter now before the Board, | shall
vote for five hours of instruction a day
at the High school, because l believe
that the pupils ought to have it and
that the teachers are able to give it. The
statement has been made that a major
ity of public opinion is opposed to a
change of time. l do not think that
this assertion can be supported. A pc
culiarity in regard to public sentiment
is that when measure is under con-
sideration those who are opposed to it
are more quick to give voice to their
views than those who favor it. | have
not been so situated that | could hear
much voluntary expression of opinion,
| but | have asked the preferences OF
quite a number of old and intelligent
citizens whose children are or have
| been in the High school, and every one
Of these answered that he preferred
| five hours, and two sessions
The Bath Times is still unconvinced,
and intimates that if the School Board
should not respond to sufficiently
/ strong representation made by citizens
opposed to the two-session plan that
there would be an appeal to the ballot
box. The Times maintains that the
change will be likely to reduce the at
| tendance at the High school and that,
| "a further draft is made upon the
time and vitality of the teachers; a
change of doubtful value is purchased
at their expense" Further develop
ments in Waterville and Bath will be
awaited with interest.