The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-11-26

II me Children at school Hhoutd
~ :" h'tlced. since those who take
- ana express them<e!ves
rhIolgh the newspapers are uke NJ
.y heVur had "A chile and neyyir
US d and consequently are
~ Competent 10 offer an oD{nior an
IL suoJect II teaching children. But
"rh We reflect that the gradual trend
- sFenfs Is toward the Establishment
:. THIS false conception or the teacher
~ the minds OF honest. cor srienff0ua
parents. and the creation ~ dfecord
~here there should be the most per-
50 harmony. We are bound 70 admit
mat all this talk IL having it, effect
II IS a ~lamentabie fact that parents are
neSofhlhR more and more to regard
the teacherS as the natural enemfes or
theT children. when they should re-
gard them in their true light-after
the parents. the best friends the child
rem have. and in some cases better
IMAM the parents themselves.
II is no uncommon occurrence now
adays to see an account OF where some
pad boy had resisted the authority Of
the school, and when corrected by the
teacher has shown fight. and in some
cases mas gone 50 far as TO attempt
the life OF the teacher or ii the bow
suDTnlts, the parent loses his head
ana has the guardian Of his children
m~arshaled up before the Lord HIgh
Mayor OF the city. Here the teacher
IS forced to go through the humilia-
ton OF 2 public trial in the presence
OF the other boys Of the school and at
the peril of his authority over them: all
for no other reason than that the
teacher, in trying to preserve the or
der and discipline Of his school. had
Deen forced to punish some ~incorrigi-
Die ~yOungSter who for the lack Of the
proper training at home is doomed to
a career of vice and crime unless he
Is checked in his youth. NOW,as an
good citizens n fair-minded parents
viii admit, the greatest lesson for any
child to learn and the one that will be
of most service to him in after years
is that Of obedience to constituted
authority. wherever found; and since
this is the germ and only true founda-
ton Of all true government, il should
be taught in every home as well as
every school. And since obedience
is not a voluntary compliance with a
request. but a hearty response to
acknowledged authority-an implicit
yielding to a command" it follows
that this authority is necessary to good
government, anywhere, and should not
be disturbed. Such obedience. prompt
and unreserved, is the duty of every
pupil toward his teacher. / believe
that the tendency toward ins~ubOrdina-
ton in the school. which seems to
be growing all the while, has resulted
from the attitude toward the teacher
Ol pdTeHIS whose 1lCIlf1dIlOD Is TO CELL
sure the teacher for any and all things
that do rot meet with the approval of
the child. Sometimes the loss of
authority in the family creates this
spirit in the parent. Not exercising
the proper control over the child at
home it is hard for the good mother
to see why any person should want to
be more strict than she. or to believe
that she hasn't perfect control over
her children. Frequently we as par
ents do not enforce obedience, but at
tempt ID purchase it with a promised
reWard. The effect upon the child is
that he comes out and
knows it. He Oon learns hat with
dlsObedlence he can purchase the
greatest faVOrS; hence, he regulates
his stubborness and impudence just In
proportion to the size of the reward
desired. This spirit becomes "a part
of the child, ans he goes to school
with no respect for authority or for
those who exercise it over him. and
grows up with an utter disregard for
law and order thoroughly rooted in
his nature. If the power to pun
ish is not given the teacher. the
government of the school is a
farce, as has been proved where
ever or whenever history has
seen it tried, and the work done by
the pupils in general is usually a sham
and a pretense. OF course, no teach
err will claim that severe punishment
should be used at all times: but all
will insist that this right should never
be taken from the school, more than
the powerful medicines should be tax
Ell away from the physician and the
various herb drinks and tonic substi-
tuted therefor. Sometimes nothing
can be substituted for the true rem
edy, and then moral SuasiOn is cruelty
to the child whose character is form
ing a crime against society. Without
49, .@I ~onro1 CIIncinn frarIJnnf1y n
complishes but little except at the ex-
penSe of loss of authority. 1t is a fact
known to all teachers that pupils who
come from homes where the authority
of the teacher is upheld seldom give
any trouble and invariably do the best
work in their studies. Therefore, it
follows that wherever it is understood
that it is the teachers right to COM
mand, and the pupils duty to obey,
little punishment is necessary and
a better school spirit prevails.
No one who knows the character of
the teachers of the country would
think for a me that any fair rep
resentative of the profession would
wantonly and maliciously punish a
child Just because he couldn't strike
| back or would take advantage Of
him because he was the biggest" The
true teacher is a different type of per-
son. Since he has to deal with all
| kinds and classes and has to take into
consideration ali sides of every ques-
ton before making his decision (some-
thing that the parent in very many
| cases cannot do) it stands to reason
that he, better than any other, can
| be a fair and impartial judge. I do
not hesitate to say that the great ma
iority of the teachers are good men
and women and would not take any
undue advantage of a child; and if not
interfered with, they will gain the love
and confidence of the great majority
of pupils. seldom having to resort to
severe punishment. If the AVERAGE
pupil is left to himself he will usually
confide in the judgment. respect the
authority and fear the ~displeasure of
the true teacher. The student knows
that the teachers are his firm, true
hearted. Observation-Disclosures friendS.
! and thai their efforts are designed to
secure his greatest good. The teacher
takes the place of the parent for the
time-being, cherishes the affections
and manifests the zeal and interest of
the true mother who spends her life
toiling for her children. But
standing all this kindness, it cannot
take the place of authority. and the