Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-17
PLAY IN PLACE OF THE ROD
New Way Of Making Good Boys and
Girls in the Schools.
GAMES SUBSTITUTED FOR WHIP
GLASS of Unruly Boys subdued by
Basket BRII-Folk Dances in Ed
archaeological Train
Ing Of Pupils.

NEW YORK, Oct. 16.-The rod has given
place to tho base III bat and dreaded ruler
to the basket ball in tic .-S,s York public
schools. Compulsory play has replaced
corporal punishment.
When In 1907 the Board OF Education re-
fused TO sanction the re-introduction OF cor
poral punishment the elementary teachers
sighed as they turned to what was often
an impossible task, the maintaining Of dis
cipline among the unruly when no tools
OF discipline were allowed. But where
there's a will there's a way
Last spring when chaos threatened in
an uptown east side school the authorities
we're struck with a sudden idea. A group
of unruly boys were given over to the care
OF a basket ball enthusiast from the normal
school. Miss Kirkland undertook the wifi
reformation of the recalcitrant half hun
bred.
That morning there was noise in the
class room. The new teacher was being
broken in. Then Miss Kirkland smiled and
cheerfully the order rang, Fall in line"
and the class was marched to the gym
nasium.
Now play!" came the order. Basket
ball was the game and Miss Kirkland led
the game.
There was a derisive yell from the boys,
Blu the spirit of sport soon seized them and
the team work which resulted was a new
episode in the history OF class A. This
was only the beginning. Miss Kirkland
did not punish the class with basket ball,
but every day good behavior or bad they
were marched to the gymnasium for a
period Of play. After a month had passed
the members Of the class were distributed
to their proper places, for Miss Kirkland,
who punished by play. had trlumphed.
One of Many
This incident is one of many that are
occurring in New York public schools under
the stimulus of New York's school depart
ment Of physical training. DR.. C. Ward
Champion is head Of this department, and
DR.. Champion says there won't be a boy or
a girl, young man or young woman in
New York who will need reformation when
the system is fully developed.
DR.. Champion says; Give me simply the
perilous spare time Of the young people.
the afternoon and Saturdays of the chill
dren and the evenings and Sundays of our
young men and young women, and I will
answer for their morals"
To begin with, tag and puss in the corner
and other young folks games have won a
regular place in the school curriculum. In
all the primary grades two short periods
a day are given over to running games.
The result Is seen when geography and
arithmetic-some teachers have even said
grammar-are attacked with zest. and
bright eyes and ruddy chicks are now more
The rule in elementary schools.
One year ago few of the school yards.
or none, were systematically used for the
mental and physical well being of the
children. Today there are 100 school yards
given over to organized play. Here the
ooyish energy which taunts the policeman
and torments the fruit vender and seeks
ways to break the law in the streets vents
Itself on the Ginning bar, in the broad
lump. in pitched battles Of shiny and OF
prisoners base.
The children just think they are playing.
but the school authorities say that in these
aIay times Natures own method supple
4.slts the artificial class room teaching"