Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-06
PUBLIC SCHOOL EVIL.
Too Many Children Crowded To-
gether-Machine Methods.

From the Literary Digest.
Discomfort with the public school system
has crystallized into war cry for "neigh-
borhood schools" This war cry Is raised
by the friends and not the enemies of the
public school. who believe that "concentra-
ton has reached limit in schools as we'll
as in other departments of civic activity.
Boston has had the subject brought to its
attention by observing that over 10000 of
Its children-something more than one-third
OF Its school population-are receiving their
education in private schools. Various causes
for this state of things are adduced, among
them being the obvious ones OF religious
aff1liation and the desire for eXcluslveness.
Boston. however, is noted for her pride in
her public school system; yet its inherent
defects have contributed not only to the
growth OF private schools we are Informed
by the Boston Transcript, but to the
exodus OF people to the suburbs wher.
the school problem is more easily solved
What applies to Boston may very probably
be true Of most large centers of population
Says the writer in the Transcript:
There Is among parents a growing dread
OF the big public school. where little chill
dren are herded together by the hundreds
Nor Is this merely Of the mammals darling
kind. 1t obtains among sensible people
who desire the best possible in the way Of
education for their children. They do not
want them to be mollycoddled or to grow
up TO be little snobs. But they are posi-
lively afraid of the big school for little
children. They are afraid of 1t physically
mentally and morally"
Some of the reasons for this fear of the
public schools are thus stated:
For the last twenty-five years we have
Laay% L,,yt, 1y,,rx tl,Nv~,
ago and less a school building that would
accommodate 100 pupils was wonder Now
it Is an insignificant affair. We aim at
crowding two and three thousand little tots
together into the same building which is
In consequence, Just so much farther from
their homes, besides increasing ali the other
difficulties, as the square of the added
numbers.
The big school Is the very breeding place
Of machine methods and red tape Ii can
handle Its numbers In no other way than
by fixed rules that are fatal to high educa-
tional ideas.
thing in higher institutions how would it
work?
The mere physical effects Of the con-
generation are serious.
Man is gregariouS Possibly but he
is not a gregarious beast. Too much actual
physical contact is not good for him. Chill
dren. like trees. need plenty of air about
their roots Life six hours a day and five
several thousand other children and oc-
cupying bare quarter OF an acre of ground
Is opposed to good hygiene
Morally as well as physically. the writer
points out. the system has it's drawbacks,
But granting that these problems could be
solved, there still remains, 1t Is further
asserted. the tremendous difficulty of Civ
ing any kind OF elasticity to a system so
heavily Handicapped by unfortunate con-
ditions. The tyranny Of the rule Of the
majority seldom takes form more az
gravating than in the adaptation of the
work of a schoolroom to the prevailing
type of the scholars present" The huge
public school with it's elaborate machinery
modelled the city hall pattern lis not a
credit to the intelligence Of the COM
munity," says this writer, "and the rapid
growth OF private schools marks a revolt
against-not the public school idea-but the
kind of public school that we are furnish
ing" The remedy is to be found in the
example set by other public utilties-"an
administrative center with outlying SUBJ
stations" This movement when it reaches
the schools. will voice itself in the demand
for ''neighborhood schools" which this
writer thinks. would stem the growing tide
of discomfort. He adds:
Small neighborhood districts possess
greater homoseneity of population. and
that is a great gain from the teaching as
we'll as from the social standpoint. Munich
palities prone to an insane fondness for
huge buildings. 1t gratifies the pride of the
citizen TO look up at masses of masonry
and say This is what we do for educa-
ton"