The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1909-03-10
TOO MUCH OF
SPECIALIZING
A WARNING VOICE AS TO HIGH SCHOOL
WORK.
SUPERINTENDENT AT FAULT
The Girls Are 0vertaxed In Work By High
School Specialists And Reform
Is Needed.
(Marshalltown Times-Republ. CAM


a mothers club in that city voiced a
warning that should be needed. His
subject was Knowledge During the
Years from Twelve to Nineteen"
and he gave psychological analysis
of this period. which includes, the
said, the closing three-eights of
childhood and the first half of the
adolescent period. The period of
childhood was characterized as one in
which the child is learning the use of
his machine, his body.
In outlining the proper develop.
ment of these two periods. he en-
phasized the Importance of manual
training in the school life, and strong
ly urged its value in all the grades
az an influence to counterfeit the over
nervous activity induced by the stud
les. He decried the term examina-
tions as injurious to the nervous
child. His apparent argument is
that the nervous and mental organi-
cations of school children are over
worked, while the physical is under
worked.
The conclusion is coming to school
superintendents as it has long 20 to
parents that the schools are forcing
too much and too fast. So far as the
grades are concerned the average
child can keep up the work, especial
ly as the girls in the lower grades
romp and play as smaller children do.
In the high school. however. things
are different. The girls lack the
vigorous exercise they took as chill
dren and the tasks seem to be gradu-
ated to the brightest rather than the
duller or average capacities.
Almost every parent complains, es-
pecially if he is the parent of girls.
1t is common to see them worn and
nervous and sick over their tasks for
the girls are the weaker as we'll as
the more conscientious over their
work. This is the case not only with
those to whum knowledge and learn
ing come slowly and with painful toll.
but among those accredited by thei,
teachers with especial ability and
brightness. And the conclusion
is inevitable that too much is at.
tempting to be accomplished.
| The fault seems to lie with the
teachers. In the high schools, each
is specialist with speciality, and
each is crowding that special course
for ali it is worth, largely, it would
appear. without complete genera
knowledge of the amount of work as
signed by another. The accumulated
tasks heaped on the nervous intelli-
gence of girl at the most important
and serious physical period of her life
are sometimes sufficient to alright
men who have grown old and hard ir
mental work. The demand is insist
ent. The time when the work is to
be finished is specified. And the chill
dren work and strain to meet the
enormous demand upon mental ant
physical organizations in formative
period. We do not hitch two.year-
old colt to the pillow. Why should VIZ
yoke the children to loads that sea
soned men and women would view
askance?
There is insistent need of a change
in this matter. 1t is good to learl
that wise and capable superintendent
are already taking steps to proven
accumulative burdens laid by hal
dozen special teachers without full
knowledge of the magnitude of tn
accumulated task they are imposing
We are coming to understand that
healthy body is as necessary as
knowledge of the higher quadratics
or the ability to analyze Burke to
. girl who is to furnish new genera
;. tion to the schools and make tn
homes of the next half century. Blu
= it needs immediate attention and call
for immediate change.