The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-11-06

upon its shoulders.
It is therefore gra tifying to note tina
the protest in the present instanc
comes from a member of the boar
itself. which fact entities the board t
a renewal of public confidence. Ma,
the good sense of Mrs. Dowsett prevail
in future deliberations on this subject
is the earnest prayer Of yours truly.
WILL c. KING.
Honolulu. November ). 1907.
PUPIL GOVERNMENT IN SCHOOLS
Editor Advertiser: THE product.
of manual training should be men, mo-
chairs"
If you happen TO have file of Hand
icraft you can find the above quota
ton in one of Mr.. blossoms editorials
in speaking of manual training at Ka-
mehameha.
Three distinct methods of school dis
cipline are now in practise. First, the
principal attends to all cases of disci-
pline where the classroom teacher
fails In large schools this takes a
large part of the principals time ana
energy. Second, a disciplinarian is
employed. This gives the principals
whole time and strength to the real
work ESQ called of the school. Third.
the school discipline is in the hands
of the pupils. This system is being
tried in many schools and is growing
in favor.
IL r lot cd
the Northwest Trades School of Phil
adelphia. There We're about 900 boys
in that school They were from about
twelve years old to about sixteen years
old; and from all classes of society, as
it is a public school.
There is a lunch room where the
boys may get wholesome lunch at
actual cost, or where they may eat the
lunch they bring. This room will ac-
commodate only about 300 boys at one
time So the boys are dismissed in
three sections-the first section y at
11:45. the second section at Il o'clock
and the third section at 12:15,
I reached the school just before noon
and was invited by the principal to
go with him to the lunch-room. BY
that time the first 500 boys were just
leaving the lunch-room and the second
SEQ were going in. The corridor was
wide enough for six people to pass,
abreast There was no loud talking,
no hurrying, no scuffling, no throwing
of paper, etc. Yet there were 500 boys
going in and coming out. Everything
was so quiet and orderly, I looked
about to see who was in charge; and
seeing no teachers, I said, Where are
the teachers? % 1.-THE teachers are in
the lunch-room having their lunch"
.'Then who is in charge of these boys
who is looking out for them?" ooh.
the boys look out for themselves. ~ we.
entered the lunch-room, where perfect
order prevailed. The floor was clean-
neither papers nor food upon it. We
walked about several minutes, the
principal nodding to boys as he hap
pened to meet them, or inquiring about
work or companions or sports; but
not a word about 'order." Then we
went to the teachers lunch-room,
leaving that 800 boys to get them
selves out. and the third 800 boys to
ge themselves into the lunch-room as
they pleased.
Later 1 visited the class-rooms and
shops In no other school did I see
bows working more earnestly than in
that school. In the shops, the boy
who was not perspiring was the ex-
ception. or his work was more mental
than physical.
On leaving, I said to the principal, |
Il like the way your boys work both |
in the class-rooms and in the shops. |
But what pleased me most was the |!
fact that the boys are learning to gov |
arn themselves He replied, Il have
been working on this problem for some |
years. And 7 think L have some good |
results to show, don't you?"
In several other places 1 found pupil /
government being tried; and on my re-
urn to Honolulu I ventured the state
nent that in a few years the principal
who can not leave the discipline of
he school in the hands of the pupils
will not find favor as a principal. Let
ers that have reached me since, and
statements made by those who have
1een East recently, confirm me in the
relief that government by the pupils is
% be the next great development in
matters. Whether this
will be by officers appointed by the
as is now done in many
schools: or by officers elected by the
pupils, as is now done at the George
Junior Republic; or by the city gov
.rnment plan, as is being tried in the
Royal School and in many schools in
he States; or by developing such a
school spirit that pupils may be left
o themselves. as is done in the North
vest Trades School of Philadelphia, 7
an not tell 1t may be by some COM
,ination of these several schemes. It
viii probably depend much upon the
of the principal in charge.
Whether such a scheme can be
worked out in the public schools of the
stands with their cosmopolitan popu-
alton. remains TO be seen. Let us at
east encourage the men who are try
1g to make men. not automatons.
A large proportion of pupils here. as
verywhere. must get their business
leals. social ideals and political ideals I
4 the schools. And these ideals will
e permanent in proportion as they