The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-11-05

One of the most interesting expert
ments in educational methods is going
on right now at the Royal School ii
! Honolulu. II is an experiment in
school government. and in educationa,
methods, both in one. 1t is so far pro-
| ceeding with the most satisfactory re-
suits.
The experiment is that of a school
city. The school is a city. with its
different municipal departments ad-
ministered by the pupils themselves,
There are a mayor and other officers.
There are a Public Works Department
and Police. Department. There are a
Board of Supervisors and a judiciary
Department.
The object is wholly educative. The
results are better order. better kept
grounds. better kept rooms, pride in
the things which go to make a model
school.
The school city idea is net altogether
new. 1t has been in force in one form
at the Normal School. 1t was intro
duced last year on one of the other
islands. Principal ]. c. Davis intro
duced it shortly after the opening of
the school year at the Royal School.
The form we adopted said Prin-
cipal Davis, was as near as practical
bic TO that embed ed in the act of the
Legislature providing for the govern
ment of the City and County of
Honolulu. only very much simpler.
We adopted the nomenclature of that
act so far as we needed it, for very
obvious reasons. But we have not
nearly as many different offices as that
provides for. In the first place We do
not need so many because the school
city naturally does not have as many
functions as the real city. Besides
that we started in with fewer offices
than it seemed probable We would
really need, the idea being to expert
ment. to feel our way, as it were, to
find out what offices We did need and
to create them only as fast as we
needed them.
The way the city was inaugurated
is this. 1 explained the matter to
the pupils and asked them if they
wanted TO attempt it. Instead of hold
ing an election right off the present
officials were appointed by the princf-
pal after conference with the other
pupils To have called an election
would probably have been fatal In
the first place the pupils could have
only somewhat vague and general no.
tions of what was needed, and they
would be wholly without means of get
ting together in agreement as to those
most likely to be efficient and desir-
able officials. SO the first officials were
appointed Later an election will be
held. BY that time the pupils will
know what the school city means. and
will be able to exercise discrimina-
ton and judgment in the selection Of
officials"
The plan of the school city is set
out in a brief statement in the form
of a constitution. though this is only
tentative, and is subject to change.
and has been changed as experience
has dictated.
The preamble says: I'VE, the pupils
of the Royal School. with the consent
of the Department of Public Instruc-
ton and for the purpose of establish
ing pupil self-government, and OF be-
coming intelligent citizens of our COM
mon country. do hereby make this con-
stitution as the law Of our school"
The name adopted is the Royal
school City. The premises OF the
Royal School are the city limits of
the ROYAL School City. All the pupils
of the Royal School are citizens of the
Royal School City and all shall have
the right 10 vote and hold office except
those below the fourth grade. Those
below the third grade was the provi-
SION at first but experience quickly de-
cided the change. The officers are
Mayor, a Board of Supervisors COM
posed of seven members. all Of whom
must be members of the highest
grade of the school: a Clerk. a Judge,
an Attorney. a Sheriff Deputy
Sheriff. all of these hereafter TO be
elective: and a Chief Sanitary Inspec-
tor. Road Supervisor. Truant Officer,
Poundmaster. Supervisor of Public
Works and Librarian. and three cleo
ton inspectors who are to be appoint
ed by the Board of Supervisors
The duties of each of these offices
are those which would naturally be
expected from the title of the Office,
modified by the needs and limitations
of the school city. For instance. the
Chief Sanitary Inspector and his as
sistants are required to inspect daily
all parts of the school city and see that