The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-09-28

IT, Grayest Fault OF Public School
System

The writer Is a devoted friend to
fhs public schools. feeling sympathy
with the teachers In their pro-
blems and undoubted faith In the
merits OF modern education How
ever. ne Is not blind to the faults of
the schools or to the shortcomings of
the teachers. Perhaps the gravest
fault OF the present-day school Ia Its
overloaded course OF study. The
school is overlooking the pupils with
subjects and with books. New sub
Jects are constantly being introduced
into the schools, almost every such
subject Is being from year to Year
subdivided. and each subdivision
calls for a book and Is given a place
In the schedule OF school studies.
Not only the tendency bat the actual
practice Is to give to the pupils a
nero smattering OF many things and
q mastery OF very few.
= The child OF today touches life at
many more points than ala the child
ok even AZ rs,aso. Even his eiei
mentary education must be broader
than that demanded in the recent
past To meet this need the modern
school child has been given more
books and yet more books. There Is a
better way to supply this need. and
N
pointed out that way.
To see school children from 10
Ia years OF age struggling through
each year with six. seven and eight
school studies. exclusive of writing.
drawing and music. ought to cause
teachers. school boards and parents
TO consider the end OF IL all. The
mentally strong and physically ro-
bust. and the mentally weak and
physically weak. are all given prac-
ticaily the same tasks within the
same time.
The law protects the child from
overwork I'm the mill and the mine,
the overloaded horse and the under
fed mule have some protection at the
hsnds OF the Society for the Preven-
tton OF Cruelty to Animals. Who Is
protecting the overloaded and under
fed child I'm the schools? Recently
much attention was very properly
directed 90 the situation OF school
houses and the general health OF
school children. Is II not time 20
turn some attention to another phase
Of the children's welfare.
The conditions under discussion are
not the fruits OF a morbid imagina-
ton. To see them one has but to
look about him. The schools
throughout the State have just open
ga or are about to open. Look at
the book lists OF your children; look
at the load OF books the children lug
TO and from school each day. Can
the normal child master and assimi-
late what he Is given each year? Is
II any wonder that examinations in
all these books give children night
msres7 Would Il not be far better.
moro sane. TO give four or Ave sub
jects at a time. and 10 master these.
than to browse over seven or eight. or
to overwork children in the vain en-
deavor TO do the unreasonable?
As n rule. school teachers are peo-
pie OF training and OF excellent good
sense and Judgment. but g. our mad
endeavor TO surpass each other In
school work some OF us have lost our
bearings. We need to stop to consider.
VIII not the teachers. the parents.
school boards and the press take up
this subject. and discuss II dlspas,
sionat"iy and solely on its merits? A
discussion made up Of wild charges
and weak d"fonses viii he OF no ben
ent o. anybody
W. H HAND.
Columbia. 4. 9.