The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-10-06
Houghton Department

! labor. This was i'm return Tor the care
ana expense of this boys infancy an'
| childhood and Il was looked upon as an
equitable transaction. The habit OF
work was not the least valuable Trims
in the boys education. lie went "a
school when his father could well
spare him.
school vacations came about for
two reasons. The old time church
schools had them during the holidays
and feasts Of the church and the
farmers had them during the summer
season 50 the children could work IN
the fields. We follow their custom for
no other reason I can see except that
il Is tradition ana our fathers did Il
I'm that way. school teachers work
at their Jobs shorter hours and fewer
DAYS tnan almost any other class of
labor. They are not I'll paid and the
occupation is not looked upon as a
permanent one l can see no GOOD
reason why, If they We're paid for II
"A school teacher Should not work SD
man. 7avs i'm the y.r l' a plumber
or "a ta.EN..no~ Hi jobs IS no more
a ne-.u-s .raH chan that Of a man
who .u.uHr watches "a .alplex ma
.hine # -t.i.y.
Il ann ..a.r ng how it would affect
tie average ,aild If he wore trained
p, consistent and preserving applica-
...n and had 10 work his force daily.
l.. own observation Is that the last
month Of school in the spring term
an the first month i'm the fan are
r.f rs valuable as the other months
.r school Honestly now, do not, both
-.rr.rs and pupils let up a little
..r fore vacation in anticipation
.uI id. The first month in the fall Is
used in getting pupils back into hao-
its Of discipline and restraint They
have forgotten during summer much
Of the work Of the year before. We
have TO rev'ew and drill To fix the
work lost by the long vacation.
81 am coming 10 the idea that there
ought 10 be no long vacation, that 1t
Is "a damage to children instead or
help. that II tends TO destroy the hab-
It's OF industry, habits of application
habits Of discipline and that school
teaching would be easier and more
effective II it were abolished If So
ciety were so organized that children
could 10 put to work IN some form OF
manr 'abor out Of doors during the
long s. alton such a training would
be most valuable. But in all town
and villages the long vacation mean
a period Of licensed idleness a time of
breaking down good habits and the
formation of poor ones.
Most parents welcome the time
when school opens I'm the fall for this
reason The mother heaves sigh of
relief 1905 a. m. on the first school.
day O. September when she can feel
that her children are once again out.
OF the demoralizing influence of the
long vacation Why not school all
the year round? ON the matter OF.
training FOR efficiency it would short
an the preparatory period three years
the college and professional school
by two and the boy would be grad'
uated at 90 or u instead Of % or 26.
while there is yet enough Of youth
left that ne may really learn by doing,
the true and lasting benefit would
come from the attitude toward work,
il would be a habit, just as idlenessI
and drawing are now. There are too
many years below the high school, too
many for the bright fellows who ought
10 go to high school and college. And
too many for the dullcr mechanical
fellow who probably ought not TO goI
10 college but Who ought To go toI
work with his hands We used toI
have thirteen grades in Ironwood, one
or two years in kindergarten, eight
grades below and four in high school.
That's too many, too much time spent
i'm getting ready To- do something
81 believe that a good deal of this
time Is being and has been lily en-
ployed in having an excessive amount
Of written work I'm schools Written
work In both language and arithmetic
rs I'm my opinion a.. great single oh
staclcs TO progress. IL dulls she facul-
ties. Mental drill and oral work
sharpcus the apprehension trains and
develops perception. Makes pupils
al.rt. attentive qu nd brilliant.
.H....u work tends .l make them
.da. ...... .f. .. .ueuIute Jam