Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1907-11-05
TOO MANY FADS IN
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Mrs. D0Wsett Attacks
Educational System
Of Hawaii

In y general attack on the way in
which the public school system of Ho.
| nolulu is being run, Mrs. Dowsctt one
of the Commissioners Of Public In.
struction, declared that too much time
IL devoted to fads and not enough to
laying proper groundwork for an
education, particularly in the lower
grades.
The particular fad" which called
forth Mrs. Dowsett's severe criticism
is the CITY Government" recently in.
stituted at the Royal School. which
she characterized as a new playthlng
which is taking the attention of the
children of their studies.
| In reply to question asked by Sup.
crintcndent Babbitt Mrs Dowsctt ad.
niittcd that she had not visited the
| Royal School, but she was ncverthe.
less firm in her belief that It is not an
! institution tending to benefit the cause
CI education In this Territory.
There was no regular meeting OF
the Board of Education, no quorum
being present. Only Superintendent
Rabbit and Commissioners Dowsett
and Garden were present, but II was
decided finally TO go ahead with the
routine work and have any action TAX.
on ratified by the full Board when
quorum could be got together.
In her attack on fads, Mrs. Dowsott,
addressing Superintendent Babbitt.
said: "Candidly, ! do not favor your
| City Government plan. On the main.
land where the pupils are all English.
speaking, It might be n good thing.
Tut in Honolulu, no. sir. You can
never convince me that II is not tax.
/ Ing the minds of the children from the
more important parts of their cduca.
ton. 1t is too much play and not
enough work"
Babbitt protested. at ism play at
all," he said. 81 don't think you have
looked fully into 1t II you do, you
will change your opinion. II places
no extra work on the principal. but
on the contrary relieves him Of two,
thirds of the work of disciplining the
school"
But this explanation did not explain
~ all, so far as Mrs Dowsctt was con.
Ccrned. That's the work the prin.
cipal is paid for" she said why not
let him do his own work." Mrs. Dow
sCtt stated that parents often come To
her and complain that their children
are not learning anything properly,
Tut when Superintendent Babbitt
asked her to give the names of some
Cr them, she refused. saying that she
vas not at liberty TO do so, as she had
= received them In Social and not in
an official way. But, :" she said, there
Is an undorCurrent of opinion that the
schools are not being run in the best
way"
Babbitt said he had no sympathy
with people who complained in a
social way Unless they came and
made complaints in proper manner,
he did not feel like listening to them.
II they would bring their list of com.
paints to the Board, II might be pos.
sible to work out remedy.
The City Government" scheme was
not the only thing Mrs. Dowsett oh.
lccted to. She criticized the way the
school time is divided up into short
irCriOds- She said she had visited
schools whore the teachers sat with Il
watch on her desk and gave 1--WE min
nutes to one subject and ten minutes
10 another. 4 child couldn't learn
anything thoroughly in that length OF
time and after promotions it was MS
ually found that he didn't know what
be was supposed to have been taught
IN the grade below.
Superintendent Babbitt asked Mrs.
Dowsctt il she had anything to sug'
iGcst to remedy the things she COM
planned Of
Make the teaching periods half an
hour long" she said, especially In
reading, writing and arithmetic"
A number Of minor matters came M
for consideration. Inspector Baldwin
in report on the Royal and Kaiulanj
schools, made reference to the pupils
|. Gweeping out the schools and washing
jIackboards. Commissioner Garden
wanted to know II there were no jan
itors to do this work, but Superlnten
B. cent Rabbit explained there is moth
= ing compulsory about the work, and
he thought it a good thing for the
q Pupils that they did It. The cXplana
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