Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-20
SCHOOL AND COLLEGE WORK
Changes in School Rooms Designed to
Relieve Eye Strain.
BRANY SON OF RUSSIAN EXILE
Activities of Educational InstItu.
lions i'm Middle west-Prepara-
lions for Fail work-Edu-
cntionaI Notes.

Nine important reforms designed to re-
lieve the eye strain Of school children have
been to the Board of Educa-
ton OF New York City by a committee OF
the Association OF Woman Principals. The
committee, with the assistance Of noted
ocullsts, conducted an extensive investiga-
ton OF the subject and the recommends
Board Of Education. The recommendation
follow;
Il. That hereafter no calendered or
coated paper be permitted in the text books
given to children, as the dazzle Of such
paper is injurious to their eyes.
"2. That half-tone pictures be not per-
mitted in school books, but that simple,
easily seen. outline pictures be substituted
for them.
20. That the length Of the lines in school
books be Of a minimum of 21a inches to a
maximum Of 3 inches, with a space between
the lines of not less than three ms.
"a. That in reading the child be advised
TO hold his book at an angle Of approx
imately IS degrees. and that in oral reading
they be required to look up frequently.
20. That after a lesson demanding close
work the children be asked to look up at
the ceiling or out Of the window to change
the focus of their eyes and rest the muscles
OF accommodation.
&c. That class rooms be equipped with
loose chairs of different sizes, so that the
children may sit in seats that fit them and
that are placed where they can see best.
~. That in the first two years Of school
all writing be upon blackboards instead OF
upon paper.
"8. THAI all rooms where artificial light
is burned continually be closed. That no
part-time classes be permitted to occupy
any room in which the light is not entirely
satisfactory.
80. All electric light bulbs used in light
ing class rooms to be made Of frosted glass,
and that clusters OF such bulbs be provided
with pale amber shades to screen the
pupils eyes from the direct rays of the
light"
In a newspaper article indorsing the rec
concentrations of the teachers committee
DR.. William NJ. Carhart, a New York au-
thority: writes:
Mental and ocular overstrain, in my
opinion, often begins in the early years OF
school life; It's resultant effects are. merely
cumulative in after years. Even in kinder
boh 81 VI Aiiiio SNibcAS NANAN - u biNNN
deal Of mental pressure put upon young
children. and a considerable amount of
strain upon the accommodation of the eye
occurs when close. work, is given to chill
dren 5 or s years old. When the child goes
into the primary grade there begins to be a
great strain upon the memory, in that the
present school curriculum calls for memo
rizing of a large number of isolated facts
the relation of which he is unable to COM
prehend. Even the multiplication table can
be made a torture to many children who
have apparently little or no taste for
mathematics. Some children seem to mem
orize best things which they read, others
memorize things which they see, but, I'M
fortunately, the school curriculum does not
take account Of individual peculiarlties. A
bad visual memory may be due to deficient
power of observation because of ocular de-
feet. II that child is forced to use his eyes
without the correction of his retroactive
error he will suffer constantly from head
ache, blurring OF vision and lachrymation.
In order to prevent the mental and ocu-
lar overstrain the school curriculums should
be reconstructed. Young children of prim-
airy and kindergarten age should not be
given any work at close range, and those
of higher grade should have their close
work only gradually increased in length
and variety. 1t would be better II instead
of having only one or two half-holidays in
the week, the younger children at least
should have three or more. and the hour:
I of daily mental work even in the higher
grades should hardly exceed five or six
A child under Is is not able either men.
tally or physically to remain at his desl
for consecutive periods, Primary and kin
dergarten children should spend only about
one-third Of their school time in their seats
the other two-thirds being devoted to resi-
and play.
- noted English authority on pe1iatrlc,
has advised that no school lesson even 70,
older childrenn should last for more thar
forty-five minutes, and that an interval OF
ten minutes be spent in fresh air and exer.
else, not drill, should always elapse between
such lessons. This interval is exceedingly
important, in that IT gives the e yes Of the
children time to regain Strength after the
accommodative strain Of the classroom, be-
sides being valuable to avoid mental stress
and exhaustion OF nervous mobility. The
continuous session in some high schools
from 9 to 1870 is entirely too much of a
strain on mind, nerves and vision. It would
be, in my estimation, an advantage for the
health Of the child If the studying of les
sons at home was largely curtailcd for the
older children, and totally abolished for
children under 10 years of age. II is a mis-
take to require a young child OF 7 or S
TO prepare any lesson at home. and for a