New-York tribune., 1906-11-18

Among all the new impressions that have
poured in upon the visiting English school
teachers during their week Of sightseeing in
the schools of New York nothing seems to have
struck them more forciby CT more greeably
Than the pleasant relations existing between
teachers and publio-the democracy" Of II, as
some of the teachers have expressed it, the
''sympathetio relations" as others call It.
Speaking of this phase Of the New York
school system, Fred c. Rice, inspector in
The public elementary schools OF Croydon, said
TN several schools that I have visited the
relations of scholars and teschers seemed to
particularly sympathetic and happy OF
course. the absence of toral punishment i'm
presses English teacher, for with us the
power TO discipline in this Is general
Whether the embargo placed upon It here is an
advantage OF not am not prepared 10 say; 1t
al depends many things-the personality
Of the teacher, the size of the class, the inter-
est the parents take IN the education of their
children. the social status OF the pupils etc.
Most English teachers. however would con-
sfder restrictions TO corporal punishment a
distinct disadvantage"
Besides the absence of physical discipline, the
size of the classes an element which Mr..
Rice thought might have q bearing on the de-
snocracy Of the New York schoolroom
Your schools are much bigger than ours I.
he said; -in fact, they strike an English teacher
as huge. In the towns our schools would aver
age about four hundred, while In the smaller
places there would not be over one hundred in
school. Our classes on the other hard. run
up TO seventy. which is much too large. Fortv-
/ should say, would be about the ideal nun
ber."
Miss Lucy r Latter, head of a large infant
school in London, also inclined TO attribute
The pleasant air OF the American schoolroono a.
observed thus far TO the smeuness of the classes
here.
Where there are sixty pupils in a class" she
balG' the al tpline has to be more severe than
Nhen tHere : only thirty forty. The great
1tee4oIn OF discipline here, in contrast to the
1igld discipline In our schools, such as keeping,
tAe pody STILL holding the hands in q given
very noticeable. ' 10
Il like the wav N which the teachers and
cnlldren speak 10 each other. I think / should
characterize their elations as more friendly
more intimate than those of the English teacher
ana pupil the former of whom generally adonts
the e-qer sister attitude toward her charges
[-is'Sh leacheTs are sitter In their bearing
american teachers are very nice with their
chIloren Indeed, they seem an extremely nice
trenned class of women The whole tone Of
your schools is refined
i notice that " hile the discipline is what
We IN England would regard AS very free in
1eed, the children are always alert and ready
y the teacher, anG that is the great test-nor
tnat the pupil should be on tension perpetuaIIv
called on "No1i
MY, one thought Of criticism upon SO ad-
1nlafbie condition would be whether the ten
oehcy Is not 10 let the discipline get little
.. Ioo iaH- IN one classroom 1 noticed child
3eGlIhg with his foot crooked up on the chair
mean. " "AA' l.
"ot course thus far" Miss Latter hegtened
70 add, my observations have been practically
conhned to the Horace Mann School, the Speyer
school ana the Ethical Culture School When
come 10 visit some Of the public schools 7
may ma reason TO modify greatly these views
one OF the things particularly admire fs the
freedom with which the children enter The scbnn,
foon-no keeping step. yet everything nerfactIJr
orderly. The only thing is to watch q bit %
mat this freedom which is so delightful sbouIS
not run into license" oAi0u4o
one thing that struck Miss Latter NOT nu,te
so pleasantly the manner fn which Ne,
York school children answer or address, tbetr
teachers. ' '4elr
"In England we like our children to a6d +,a