The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1910-03-11
is Public School Training Adequate ?

Norfolk, Neb March Editor
News: The program of the North
Nebraska Teachers annual convention
has been published, and should be
read by the public, for the reason that
the work of our public schools is of vi
| tai interest to the state. Directly and
indirectly the school tax is the largest
on the schedule. But there is a weight
Ter interest that should compel our at
tention to the public program to be
given this month by the teachers. The
children now in the public schools
will, in few years, be guiding the
| destinies of the state. For an average
! OF twelve years these children attend
the public schools. These years rep
resent the most vital period OF
child's life. They cover the formative
period, when the body and mind are
undergoing subtle process of devel-
opment. The changes that occur dur
ing these years in the organs and func-
lions, physically, are more delicate
and important than the mental deyel.
opment. Bearing these facts in mind,
the next question is, is the work of our
schools adequate to the end in view?
We may assume that this program
fairly represents the work being done
in the schools. Let us review il
briefly. There are some eighty-seven
items or topics, including four pray
ers, on this program for entertainment
or instruction. There are disserta-
lions on oratory, the ration of litera-
ture and art for the pupil. Science is
treated and there are papers on the
teaching of latin and high ideals"
moral training" school spirit" 'in-
tensive methods" compulsory attend
ance," imagination" and "vitaliZa-
tion," whatever that may be. In all
these eighty-seven topics, including
four prayers, the reader will fail to
interpret anything that relates to the
health or physical well being of the
children - not one word about that
marvellous physical or even mental
transformation, from a medical or
physiological point Of view, that is 60
ing on in the child during those twelve
years and which have so potent bear.
ing upon the individual and the nation.
1t was Herbert Spencer, | believe,
who said that you cannot have a good
man without having a good animal,
and the history of nations will show
that, pari passu. with physical degen-
Grafton and effeminancy occurred men
tai decay and political downfall. We
adopt system for our public training
OF children for life's duties and des-
TIMES and vicissitudes, just as II we
were going to dig canal or re-forest
a state, and we break each unit to the
system. You will pass one hundred
men, between the ages OF forty and
fifty on the street and find fewer than
ten OF them wearing glasses. How
many children of school age, out OF
every hundred, will you see not wear
ing them? Can the reader find any
thing on this program about cross
lights in the public schools, of the
quality or kind OF printing or type
used in school books. OF the effect OF
the different rays OF the sun upon the
pupils in the school room, OF heating
or ventilation, OF physical defects, OF
or dissimilarity OF talents
and bent OF intellect or the thousand
and one factors that go to make up
the material units OF a public school?
Reader, peruse this program, including,
its four prayers, and think of the fu-'
ture life OF the child, your child, and
answer the question, are the schools
adequate? ]. H. Mackay.