Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-16
CHILDREN OF FIRST SCHOOL
ARE HAPPY
Members Of Board Of Education still
Favor Idea and say II InstIIIs
Honor and Self
Reliance

pOoks ana lett the school, the idea OF
| self-government was yesterday abol-
ished at the school house, and as a re-
suit, although the teachers have inti-
mated that the reins of faculty govern
ment may be found unusually hard be-
cause of the actions of the children in
maintaining their rights the children
returned to hard study, and IL was de-
| cided to let well enough alone.
Ever since the self government plan
was first taken up in the Los Angeles
public schools trouble has been rife
among the scholars, a trouble which
was rarely taken up before the teachers
| or the members of the faculty. but
which was the cause of many heart
burnings and the primal cause of many
boys and girls leaving school rather
than fight against the "cliques'' which
quickly formed and ruled everything.
| IL boy or girl did not do exactly as
| the members of the self-goVernment
committees desired that boy or girl
sooner or later, left school or became
greatly disheartened, for they were
made the butt of all the petty jealous
les possible to the mind of the half
grown boy.
Plan Failed
The original idea of the self-govern-
ment plan was to make the school boys
honorable, 1t was to make both boys
and girls sef-confident, with an eye to
the right and wrong of discipline as
seen from Students view but it failed
IN its purpose. Every member of the
board of education backed the idea,
the directors of the local schools, from
Prof. Moore down to the telephone
operators in the educational depart
ment, Were in favor of the self-govern-
ment plan, and 1t was ordered that the
children do the self-government stunt"
whether or no.
They tried it, and now the parents of
both boys and girls are venting their
wrath in strong Language because the
schools which they pay taxes to MAIN
tain are being practically managed by
handful of boys and girls who in
almost every instance have here and
there vented petty spite to the sorrow
of some other pupil.
The idea of making better citizens Of
the boys was all right, according to
the ideas of the parents. 1t was also q
good thing to impress them with the
idea of honor They consented to a
trial of the plan, but declare they are
disgusted with the results.
Pupils Leave School
The plan has been tried and found i'm
practical. The rule Of the teachers
brought many heartaches to the chill.
dren, but aside from the little favorit-
ism which teacher occasionally shows
for one of her apt pupils the other
scholars had an even chance. With the
| self-government it was a question OF
tickling the vanity of those who gov
erned, and in many instances in the
high schools where government
has been tried boys and girls have left
school because their enemies have de-
liberately sought office in order to vent
spite.
According to the statements of high
school boys, during the last period of
school one boy was particularly anxious
to be elected to the self-government
committee. AS the offices always go
begging because of the fact that boy
or girl who accepts it is generally de-
spised by other pupils this lad was
questioned by his friends as to his
vigorous campaign for election. He is
alleged to have replied that the session.
before one of the other lads had been
member of the committee and had
mistreated him, and that therefore he
was hoping for election to get even.
Causes Hard Feelings
"If you stand in with the members
Of the committee you can do about as
you like" was the statement of one
high school boy yesterday. 1.-The self
government does not amount to much
except about the school yard, where any
boy is supposed to behave without the
interference of another who generally
knows whole lot less than he does,
and it causes hard and bitter feeling
and resentment when one member of
the Self-government committee walks
over to some claSSmate who has only
dropped piece of orange peeling on
the ground and in an insolent manner
orders him to pick 1t up. If he refuses
he is taken up before the board and
made a spectacle, whereat there is
generally a settlement later which
makes the boys enemies for life"
, Such is the sentiment in almost every
school where the idea of self-govern-
ment has taken root and where the
children have given up the idea of
studying in the good old school of the
"Three RS in order to spend their time
"scrapping" among one another.
According to the statements of the
parents, the children cannot keep their
minds on their work nor can they put
their. hearts into the books when they
are compelled to spend the greater part
of their time in bitterly bewailing the
Injustice done them by children who
have no better idea of government
" DOSS anu W bHOW JILL
Believes In Plan
With regard to the movement of self
government of the pupils of the Los
Angeles public schools the following
interviews were obtained yesterday
from several of the members of the
board of education
Joseph Scott said:
"I am In favor of developing spirit
Of honor among the children Of the
schools which will cooperate to the
better discipline tn the department.
and while 1t is unreasonable to expect
to place too much reliance upon chill
dren of immature years, think that
the problem of self-government should
be introduced wherever possible and 1t
has certainly worked well in both high
schools. where the boys and girls have
reached an age that they can apprecl-
ate the wisdom of proper disciplinary
methods to insure the best results in
education"
Quinn Favors Idea
]. M. Quinn expressed his approval
of the plan.
"It teaches the boys the principle
Of government" said Mr.. Quinn, and
1t gives them a training for citizen
shin. 1t Is rather new In the grammar