Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-19
Opening of the Schools.

The school wear Will begin Monday Va
cation DAYS have passed. with exceeding
speed for most children. and the season
for work and earnest effort for pupl's ana
teachers has come around AGAIN Noh-
day Will be an epoch making day III near
ly all families in the DistrIct-a day OF
trial and solicitudc for parents ana JOY
or trembling for the children
IL is believed that If the emotions OF
the children. stirred by the return Oh
school days. could he weighed. JOY Wouid
hold down the scale. In this fact is
suggestion of the advance made in 'each-
ing methods. School tasks have been
made more interesting to the pupil than
school tasks were in the olden time.
II is the charge of adverse critics OF
present educational WAYS that schooi
tasks are not now real tasks. that learn
ing has been made too easy and that
the child does not get the stern mental
discipline which better fits him for the
tasks of life. There is doubtless a
happy medium between the system OF
. educat ton which loses percentage OF It's
efficiency because by its narroWnesS'
rigidity and severity it repels the pupil
and the system at the other extreme
which so coddles the pupil that he gets
no mental discipline at all.
Another charge lodged against some
public school methods. and no doubt with
equal justice against private schools. Is
that the variety of subjects taught is TOO
great and that children are not grounded
in the elemental English subjects. 1t
would seem though, that responsibility
for thorouGhnesS in the basic branches
rests on the teacher and the pupil rather
than on any method or school system.
Anyhow. the people of the District of
Columbia have faith that their public
schools are efficient. despite the storm
and stress through which they have
passed. A school system to survive in
good shape the shaking up, rafting
around and general disturbance which
the local school system has borne ought
to be considered pretty sound
In every household in the District there
is a fitting of new clothes or furnishing
OF the old. in preparation for the momen-
tous first day of the school term. Let the
boys and girls resolve to do the best they
can in the matter of lessons and behavior.
and let parents strengthen their children
in this resolve.
Reports published in The Star regard
ing the physical condition of the school
buildings, indicate an improvement over
last term. Despite the increased enroll
ment the pupils will have more room
than heretofore. Four new buildings ready
for occupancy and additions to older
structures relieve the congestion and the
strain will be further eased when the
structures building shall be complete.
The fire risk in the older schools has
been reduced by the judicious expenditure
Of the money appropriated for that pur-
pose. in substituting metal for wooden
staircases fireproof1ng the furnaces and
furnace rooms and installing fire escapes
II is unfortunate that the new buildings,
though measurably safe-guarded from rre
are not fireproof. All buildings con-
structed for the accommodation of crowds
should be fireproof and this statement
applies with especial emphasis to school
buildings.
Though the danger is small. much re-
sponsibilty rests on the teachers in the
enforcement of fire drill until the execu-
ton of this movement becomes automatic,
and on the men in charge of the heating
plants in the schools