The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-02-20
SCHOOL CHILDREN PREFER
OLD STANDARD STUDIES
President Griffiths of Oahu College Has Secured
Data From Honolulu Schools Showing Tend
encyfor Arithmetic, Language and Geography.

fourth. You see at once that the
popular subjects include only the old
standbys and that the newer subjects
which we have proudly introduced for
culture purposes in order that the child
might have interest, as we'll as drill.
have not met with that warm recep-
ton which we had anticipated.
The reasons given in many cases are
both amusing and Illuminating. Many,
of course, said that they disliked it
because they did not like it; a large
age-though not So large as 1
had anticipated-gav the stock rea-
sons of too hard or too difficult or not
interesting. One Hawaiian shows
characteristic political aspiration in
saying: IF 1 study Language hard, I
might become president
Language is the base of life of every
human SOUL" says a Chinese boy. A
nervous girl does not like nature study
because the insects make her tremble.
Weaving is hard and funny" One girl
did not like history because she had
had what they are having now and it
is too much work to have something
new; another says that history takes
too much thinking to tell in her own
words One impatient girl says she has
no good reason for disiking sewing
but she just hates it. A little eleven
year old .'knows how to sew now
Boys find is distasteful. One rash
youth does not want to do it because
it is not useful to boys, and another's
pride is hurt because girls sew" One
girl, who evidently plans to be lady
thinks it is the least important sub
ject.' There is a wailing chorus of
boys and girls who do not like it be-
cause the needle sticks in their fingers.
There is a strong unitarian element
and the reason that 1T will help in
my business" often appears. One fore
sighted youth prefers language because
he might some day be in an office where
it would be useful. Working in the
garden has many enemies. The con-
trariness of human nature is amply il
luStra ted; one does not want gardening
because he has to plant potatoes and
work in the garden at home; another
does not like it because he will never
have to work in garden. But the
prevailing reason is that it gets their
hands dirty. Il do not like to work
in the garden when it is hot" sug-
gested Chas. Dudley Warmers patent
walking umbrella for use When hoeing
LII tie e1IdSIi SlOlOSy 1lotS SOItlS
admirers. One girl would like to know
what's the matter with her when she
isn't we'll inside. a Chinese boy, in
paper embellished with pictures of two
pugilistic looking gentlemen, says that
ne likes physiology because it teaches
him how to get stout and be boxer
and an aspiring Hawaiian lad likes
because it teaches him to be
fat like Paul Isenberg and Cunha.
Music has about an equal number of
enemies in all grades. Its friends are
mostly in the third and fourth grades.
Among these the expressions are en-
ohatic. In addition to the vast throng
who do not like singing because they
IAN not sing or because it is hard there
ire many which strike sympathetic,
f not musical, chord. One says he
ioes not like to sing because every
body sings; another because lit is
notes and staff; another has the waste
If good time uppermost in his mind
when he says that he dislikes it be-
,ause you see some people stay at home
LII day playing music and earning
nothing; one does not like to write
'sofa''-which being interpreted means