The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-01-05
MODERN SCHOOL METHODS.

There Is much complaint in this city
of what may be called intensified child
culture In some of the schools so much
is required that child has no time to
play and no chance to go to bed early.
The other day a woman was heard to
say that her daughter had to sit up
until eleven o'clock each school weel:
night to get her lessons. The girl does
not lack for brightness nor Is her case
exceptional: there are many other chill
dren in her fix. To meet the severe re-
quirements, recreation and sleep, which
are as essential to the well-being of a
growing lad or lass as book-knowledgc
and mental discipline, are sacrificed;
and when the end of term time comes,
the average child is likely to be in a
state of nervous perturbation and ir-
ritability which counts against either
success or pleasure in life.
OF all the people concerned, the teach
err gets off easiest. In the crude old
fashioned days the teacher taught.
School began at S:45 a. m. and ended at
p. m. with an hour for incoming; and
there was ample time to study as well
as to recite. What the pupflhwanted to
find out he went to the teacher for; and
the school library was at hand for re-
search. When the pupil did not come
up to the mark he was kept after school
and the teacher stayed to help him
learn things. Now the teacher hears
lessons and gives the child subjects to
take home and investigate and report
upon the next day. This makes
the home work" which burdens so
many families and tires so many brains
besides the child's. Instead of the
teacher teaching, the parents have to
do it. 1t was well said the other day
by a parental victim of this system that
unless the father or mother has a good
education or good library or both, the
child will go to her classes without the
instruction which the school is paid to
impart and be put in disgrace accord
ingly.
Apropos of this matter the Advertiser
is asked to publish the following eN-
cerpt from the Youths Companions.
Nowadays when there are several
children in the household, the task of
aiding all of them with their lessons
becomes rather a serious problem. one
overburdened mother, who was obliged
to decline an invitation to pay visit,
went on to give her reasons
No" she said, Il can't possibly
leave home for whole halliday. You
see, I'm obliged to spend all my time
helping the children with their lessons,
their teachers give them all so much
outside work to do. 1t takes me from
seven to ten every night to solve
Harod's problems in algebra, from four
to six every afternoon l have to look
up historical topics at the library for
Isabel while she is struggling with her
Latin, and from one until four l am
either looking for pieces for little Henry
to speak in tho fifth grade or pressing
Isabel's botanical specimens or trans
lating Nellie's French-the poor child's
not very strong, you know, and l don't
like to have her sit up too late at
night"
Then why not come to me in the
morning." asked her friend. This
very morning, for instance"
NO." replied the busy mother, with
evident reluctance. I'D really like to,
but l promised to spend this morning
doing something for Robert. The poor
child would be so disappointed II
failed him!"
What are you going to do for Rob-
ert?" asked the friend,
Well" returned the devoted mother,
I'm going to the swamp back of the
cemetery to catch n large green frog
for him to take this afternoon to his
biology class"
What we are describing is the cram
ming process, the dollhouse forcing of
and against II every thought
full parent in the city is beginning TO
appeal. 1t overburdens the weak; it
takes no account of the average child's
power of mental digestion: il robs the
little one of open-air recreation and
full nights rest and II makes worried
book-worm where there should be a
romping boy or girl. Why 1t
is done We do not know; for no humane
or logical argument In favor OF II has
ever met the writer's eye.