The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1910-07-28

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health, bu without general intelll-
gence-without a reasonable educa-
ton of the head, one is only an idiot;
with health, with general intelligence.
but without the habit of industry,
without efficiency of laDor, IN orner
words, without the training OF the
hand, one Is only dependent, q
tramp. possibly parasite sucking
the life-blood out Of society. Grad
ually We are awakening to the i'm
portance Of manual training, domestic
science and art, and agriculture as q
part OF the training of every boy and
girl in the public schools. )
I School Accommodations.
But in order to carry on these
different subjects with success,
more room is needed. The four
room addition to the Mckinley school
will relieve the congestion only tenn
porarily. 1t will only take care Of
the natural increase of the North
side, and 80 the High and Central
schools will be as crowded as ever.
Definite plans ought now be laid for
new High school building. An archis
tect should be employed and he In
conjunction with the board and sup
erintendent, should consult on the
size, style and arrangement Of the
proposed building. The gr~und
should be purchased before property
becomes much higher-all this would
be in the interests Of the schools and
especially the tax payers. The High
school department needs q room set
apart for the type-writing classes.
The commercial department Is grow.
ing rapidly and we have to confine
our enrolment to twenty-five pupils
as long as we have no more accommo-
dations. A number Of pupils had to
be turned into other courses for this
season. A separate room is almost q
necessity for the noise produced in
operating the machines precludes any
study on the part of pupils in the
room while a class in is progress. A
type-writing room ought to be noise
less and yet built In such a way that
the instructor. has q full view of all
the pupils in her department. The
pupils taking mechanical drawing
should have a room set apart for
them fitted especially with suitable
drawing tables. The common school
desk is lily adapted for this work and
cannot be used. We are already US
ing attic and basement rooms, both
Of which ought to be discontinued,
for a pupils eyesight IL worth more
than ali the education which he can
absorb In a lifetime. The question
of more room is really serious and
ought to be remedied this year.
Fairgrounds.
There is no topic 80 widely discuss
ed by the educational world Of TO-DAY
as that Of school play grounds in con
nection with public school buildings.
We are beginning to realize that it is
the business of the school authorities,
not only to provide and furnish up to
date and sanitary buildings, in which
the health and comfort of the child
rem are safe-guarded, but to provide
large and suitable Fairgrounds, equip
ped with apparatus, where children
may yell and play to their hearts con-
! tent.
Play is primarily a necessity for
the health of children. Free, nat
ural, vigorous exercise is essential to
the growth and development of the
body. No exercise can take the
place of free, untrammeled and in.
structive play. Jacob Riis says:
The boys safety valve Is his play
Sit on that, hold it down hard, and
you will have trouble. Give him the
gutter for play ground and nothing
else, and you will have crime o.
course. Children need play. They
need It as much as the education OF
tn eschoo lroom and much more
The time is at hand for this com
munity to provide public school play
grounds where all children may gath
er in perfect freedom to indulge II
the natural instincts of play. Schoo
boards must take the initiative and
would recommend that the start b.
made with the central school block
We need this for play ground pur
poses and ought to have it by tn,
opening of the coming school year.
1t Is criminal to house over To-
pupils in two buildings and have n
place for play except the dangerou
public streets. Surely the happiness
and health of such a large numbe
l -1~sN j.