The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-01-12
THE SCHOOL QUESTION
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Editor Advertiser: For some time I
have viewed with interest the criti-
cisms of parents upon the course Of
study and the teaching in the schools
of Honolulu.
Those who are on the teaching force
know only too well that we cannot con-
form to the ideas of all the parents, or
please them all
On the one side we have the over
induIgent, over-anxious parent fear
ing that mis- progeny will be over-work-
ed and who desires to keep his little
ones from any too strenuous effort
Then we have the selfish, or the busy
guardian and parent, who does not
want 20 DE bothered with children. He
desires that the teacher give the chill
dren much home work SO as TO keep
them busy out of school so that he,
the parent OF SudIuiSaii, hleS ACC "
disturbed by their noise and racket.
There is also another type, the ambi-
tious parent, the one who wants his
or her boy or girl to be promoted. This
parent wants much homework and de-
sires to help the pupil as much as pos
sible. There are still the rational par
are willing to leave the education of
their children to those who have been
trained for ard who have devoted their
lives to that WORK.
For myself I can say truthfulIy I
have systematically opposed the giving
Of much homework to pupils below the
High School course My theory has
always been that whatever the pupil
does should be for himself and that as
spontaneous as possible. The only
homework that assign is the commit
ting of poetry a few verses at time)
Or the studying of short lessons in his
tory, geography, physiology, or spell |
ing. which have been thoroughly gone |
over in class and explained. Even /
these tasks can generally be accom- |
olished in the study period given every |
afternoon in school
ne to give them homework in arith-
netic and composition, but L always
'eply in the negative saying that II
cave such work out Of the home work
First, because I do not want
he parents to write compositions and
york examples for my pupils; second,
because I like to see and be with my
upils when they are at work so as to
xplain difficulties and to understand
ust how far they have advanced; and
lst but perhaps most important of all,
FORK all the time. I wish to have
hem put all their vigor in the school
york from nine to two O'Clock, but
rhen school closes to let it rest. If
ONE one is always nagging at child
D study this or that out of school, he
ill hate school. My aim is to get
upils to love school and to gladly take
p their tasks while there Sponta-
eous effort on the part of the pupils !
J to my mind the only true educative
recess. Get children interested and, :
they are normal, they will be only S
20 glad to work. for the little child is {
OF an idle daudler, but busy worker. g
oweyer, he cannot work all the time; !
E must have time to develop his body, t
) out of school he should play all he t
to. E,
DR.. Henderson's book Education S
Id the Larger Life to which Mrs / v
odge refers is very interesting and t
digestive. but it is a little too ideal I
T the present public school system I
also requires a great deal of the q
trents. p
There may be some teachers who a
We over burdening homework, but I n
low of many who do not. I do not C
lieve that the children in Honolulu t;