The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1908-01-03
NJ 0GHOO[ GOOR16hIp
SCHOOL AUTHORITIES AGAINST
1T IN NORTHERN NEBRASKA.
YOUTH FAIRLY WELL INFORMED
Already Knows Too Much About
courtshlp, Thinks One superinten'
dent, Who Labels the Scheme Dan
aerous to All Parties Concerned"

decide and has decided against the
teaching Of courtship in the public
schools.
Back In Illinois the question is be-
ing fought bitterly according to press
reports but in north Nebraska the
school authorities are "agin" It,
1t was in the columns of the Sioux
City Tribune that the educational
courtship question was fought out.
The Tribune asked for the views of
County Superintendent iced of Dix
on county, Perdue of Madison, Miller
of Cedar and Littell of Wayne on the
subject of giving young Nebraskans
scientific and technical instruction on
all the phases of courtship and the
arts of love making.
These educators replied to the Tri-
bune's referendum vote and by their
verdict the young generation will have
to go at its love making blindly and
without instruction.
County Superintendent A. " Teed
of Dixon county wrote from Ponca:
"The teaching of courtship in the
Nebraska schools would be time vast
ed. Illinois boys may need coaching
along that line, but such notions are
intuitive with the average Nebraska
youth. Such affairs interfere with the
school work of too many pupils now,
and the conditions would doubtless
be worse when encouraged by edu-
Gators. Considering the limited sup
ply of school maams in Nebraska, 1t
would be exceedingly unwise, for
teachers are expected to enter heart
and soul into the knowledge of all
subjects taught-teaching by example
as we'll as precept. I should label this
scheme dangerous to all parties con-
cerned.'"
County Superintendent F. S. Perdue
replied from Madison:
GAS long as human beings come
into the world in the old fashioned
way, 1t will not be necessary to intro
duce into the course of study of the
public schools the subject of courtship
and marriage, Superintendent Francis
G. Blair to the contrary notwithstand-
ing. Nature has given man intuitive
knowledge in this subject which can
not be improved upon by any human
instruction Another serious objec-
ton will be the difficulty of finding
suitable instructors for this subject
were it placed in the curriculum.
The average old maid teacher is not
able to give the necessary instructions
by the laboratory method which is the
essential method for all school sub
jects."
County Superintendent Littell of the
Wayne county anti-dance crusade
said:
at appears to me that the talent to
court in the average boy or girl de-
velops too early in life, along with the
natural order of things, without any
scientific system to give 1t impetus.
Already it is reduced to fine art in
Nebraska. Why should it be attempt
ed scientifically when a battle royal
is being waged between matrimony
and the compulsory education law?
Few census reports are given to us
of married women. We have the evil
of skipping grades to combat. Think
of the leaps and bounds that would
be taken to gain the grade in which
Superintendent Blair's suggestion had
been carried out! Again, our faithful
teachers, who have stormed the three
year limit and added several years
more of their lives to the work, would
find themselves confronted with diff
culties insurmountable; it would be
hard to convince the boys and girls
that their lives had been dedicated to
the work of teaching, as reason for
not having long since applied the prin-
ciples of courtship which they would
teach. | shudder when | think of the
number of texts on 'courtship' that
would flood the market, Of the original
ideas that would be supplemented by
teachers, and of the resulting 'affini-
ties | am convinced, therefore, that
it is better for us to prepare Nebraska
girls and boys for their life's work and
let the school system Of Illinois do
for theirs what they will, so long as
they do not inflict upon us any of the
finished product resulting from the
plan proposed by the state superinten-
dent of that state"
County Superintendent Miller of &C.
dar county replied:
This subject may admit Of a great
many different opinions. But it seems
to me that the child of today thinks
of and practices courtship enough
without having it brought more for
chilly to his mind by the teacher in
the school room. When a man discov-
ers his affinity do not think it would
help his cause any if he had had the
science of courtship taught him all
his life. He would probably forget all
his set rules and precise words when
the exciting moment came. Seriously,