The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-01-26

Chinese 90 70 schools taught In theii
own language That Il not the concern
of tho public school.
IL will be said that teachers are over
worked as IL Is. In regard 10 this, LOT
us face facts, We make the COMPARE
sons with women because they consti
tute nearly all Of our teachers. A Cir
works, say as typewriter and steno
grapher from s 'clock A. M. to 6
o clock p. NJ. That is to say deduct.
seven hours a day except Saturday,
when she works four hours. This
makes 80 hours week. Another young
woman of about the same age works
in the school five times four and half
hours, or twenty-five and half hours
week. It is quite true that teacher
has reports to make, studies to arrange,
&c. These we will say make her hours
of work per week approach those credit
ed to the other girl. But the type.
writer gets but two weeks of vacation
year, besides the general holidays
while the teacher gets ten weeks vaca-
ton in summer, two at Christmas, one
at Easter and every Saturday.
With the new demands upon students
of all classes, this matter of hours is
becoming serious. 1t has lately been
said that man at college has less than
/ $50 days of work at the institution.
| The question is a serious one here
when we consider the few years during
which child attends school,
Island Conditions,
In the Islands / suppose the condi-
tions are about as follows, as to holt
days and school days:
| Days on which school is not taught;
Ten weeks Of five working
days each ...........50 days
All Sundays of the year. so days
| All Saturdays of the year. SO days
Christmas, two weeks. 10 days
Easter one week. ......... 5 days
Five public holidays. days
ia days
Out of 800 days then, the teacher
works in school S65, less ia, or 191
working days in year.
Considering everything, even the ner-
vous strain of teaching, we cannot say
that this appears overwork when COM
pared with woman Is work of skilled
character requiring years of prepare
ton done by women in other lines. But
we are considering this subject from
the point of the pupil. We know that
in higher education it puts off the
time when a man can make living at
a profession until he is 25 or more.
The years before man is graduated
are being heightened and the days In
year In which he studies are shortened.
AS IL affects us here it means that at
fourteen or fifteen the child has been
during its school age, nearly one half
the time out Of school, and in the vast
majority of cases without any reading
or study at home.
The Average Product.
fifteen an ordinary boy Cor girl) is a
poor and unintelligent reader, he can
not write a letter with any degree of
nor can he do simple pro-
blem in arithmetic. This at least is
what those say who answered the ques-
tions.
! Can we remedy the matter somewhat
by giving the pupil more time each
day and few more days in year,
One hour more day would be school
day each week-four days in a month.
In ten months it would be forty days,
or two school months each year. In the |
school life of child from six to fit. |
teen, that is nine years, this would
mean eighteen school months, or near
y two school years gained.
Again, if the total holidays during
a year were ten weeks instead of four
teen as at present, there would be gain
I'd one month each year, or nine months
IN nine years. This added to the eigh-
teen months as given above, would add
shree of the present school years to the
school life of the boys and girls Of
5hese Islands.
If we take as conservative esti-
mate a half hour each school day as
given, to what the critics say is non
sense, we get two hours and half a
week, ten hours month, or in nine
months 80 hours, twenty school days or
,ne school month gained each year for
in the essentials of an Eng
ish Education.
In nine years we have another year
the three years gain
ID by adding one hour to the school
lay and month to the year we have
! possibility Of four school years add
ID to the school life of the children in
Hawaii. Is this too much to aSkf j
fersonally, and basing our Judgment ON
that is done in othor countries, we be-
ieve n6s.
If all the tinia OF school is given to
he essentials and this gain In time
we're made, 1 believe we should see an
Let us ask w6sat bust
ess firm would consider twice if sTeh
proposition came before ita /,
The last part of this communication
J not pertinent to the subject of in
ustrial schools, but because those who
nswered the questions constantly !,
rought in the public schools for dis
nssion, suggesting that changes be
Iade, we have suggested one which we
elieve is important.
After all that is said and done, what =
yer method we have, so much depends 1
. the personality of the teacher, and !,
'achers are born, not manufactured. q
Mess teacher inspires confidence, y
.nuuau sutaraat lava kba ,.vo.I, ood &. IN