El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-08-31

its public school discipline. The time
is past when the teacher maintains the
pin drop" point of order by keeping
the pupils in paralyzed subsection. In
most schools today discipline is main
tanned by subjective rather than by
positive authority. The uptodate teach
er seldom commands or dictates in an
authoritative manner. The children
are taught to think, and to maintain
order for the general good of all.
Little Corporal Punishment.
Physical force is seldom resorted to.
Most of the states now have laws reg
ulating corporal punishment In
number of the larger cities ii is alb
solutely prohibited and, throughout the
entire country it is practically obso-
lete. In this respect American schools
are superior to those of England, for
even in the celebrated Elton school can
ing is still resorted to. The announce
ment has recently been made that the
old fashioned birch rods will no longer
be used on the older boys at Elton, as
they have been replaced by the more
modern ferules. The birch rod. how
ever, is still called into play for the
benefit of the first and second year
boys This statement causes a feeling
of pardonable vanity to the American
educator, who has relocated the birch
rod to the oblivion of a past genera
ton.
The American teacher, from kinder
garten TO high school. has been SO well
trained in psychology and social and
political economy that she generally
knows how to deal with even the most
refractory child by an appeal to his
reason. Better results are obtained by
this means than could ever be brought
about by physical violence or intimi-
dation. The aim of the public school
is good citizenship and skilled eff
cheney. Where the pupil is interested
in securing these, the well qualified
teacher can generally trust the disci-
pline of the school to take care Of
itself.
New Ideas Evolved.
Each decade, however, brings out
some new idea in school management
Self government has been the aim OF
the modern educator for a number or
years and various means of securing IL
have been attempted. The school city
idea, introduced 10 years ago, was at
first considered the best solution OF
this problem. After careful tests,
however. this plan has been found
lacking in several respects. The school
city system discipline consists OF or
ganizing the entire school as a city
government The children elect their
own mayor, council, judges, board or
health, director of public works, po-
lice and other officers, and these Of
ficials attend to the government of the
school. The school council makes rules
of government in the form of city or
dinances The police officers enforce
these orders and have power to arrest
an offender The culprit is tried by
the Judges. This organization is still
in operation in many schools with good
results, but Il has been discontinued in
a large number because the teachers
feel that it takes too much time from
the regular work and also, in some in
stances was instrumental in introduce
ing questionable methods. The school
city was advocated by political reform
workers as the best means OF teach
ing civic purity to the citizens or the
future. In a number of school cities,
however, it developed that official cor
ruption seems inherent in American
politics, for even these embryo politi-
clans were guilty of bribery and more
than one official was found guilty Of
corruption and malfeasance in office
One Idea Good.
The school city idea, however, had
great valuef in teaching children civic
methods constitutional authority and
the real duties Of citizenship. 1t also
demonstrated to the teacher that the
children were capable of considering
demonstrating the possibility Of self
government to a degree never before
considered Even teachers who do not
fully advocate the principal of self
government are each year coming
more and more under its influence,
and there is no doubt that this is the
trend of modern pedagogical method
The ideal is gained when the teacher
is able to exert an unobtrusive author
ar
time creating in the childrtns minds
the economic value of a conduct which
is most helpful to all.
The school civic club is one of the
latest outgrowths in school discipline
This civic club does not attempt to
\ control the school as did the school
city; nevertheless, its meetings are
very influential in aiding the preser-
walton of order throughout the school
A teacher in six grade school. COM
posed of a large percentage of foreign
pupils, organized a civic club which
met on the first Friday in the month,
Just after the close of the school ses-
sion. Informal discussions on condi-
| tons affectings the condition of the
school were brought up at these meet
ings. At meeting held last fall, the
following code of rules was proposed:
do not forget to clean your feet az
the door,
do not raise and lower your desk
| during study hours; it is not neces-
sary and it makes a noise which dis
| turbs other people.
! DO not cough when you don't have
to. Some folks cough just because
other people do That is not funny
and it is bad for your own throat
Tear the paper from your tablets
quietly; it won't go so crooked if you
are careful"
Chiidren's Own Ideas.
Each of these rules originated en-
tirely with the children and the code
was adopted after a vigorous discus
sion in which many interesting points
were brought out. They were type
written and placed on the bulletin
board of the school. Their influence
was clearly evidenced by the improve
ment they brought about during the
next few months. The problem of
school punishment is each year becom-
ing less important because the need
for punishment is lessened- The schools
are designed to interest and to instruct
the children, and busy children are not
apt to misbehave. The versatile teach
er is apt to scent oncoming mischief