River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-12-26
Public School Problems

treated to line OF articles INTENDED
to prove that the Public School
System of the United States is 8
monumental failure. Whether or
not the articles have proven their
contention is not our present pur-
pose to say. Any such contention
must show first, what is, and what
has been, the purpose of the Public
School System of the United S. ates,
and, second, has the system met
the purpose for which it was es-
tabliShed and has been maintained?
If the answer to the last quest.
ion is in the negative, then insofar,
at least, the system has failed. If
the answer to the first shall show
that the purpose of the school sys-
tenn is and has been wrong, then,
though the system itself may have
fulfilled its purpos., the system is
wrong and should be changed.
Few, indeed, are tie students of
the schools of the United States
VINO will claim that those schools
need no improvement. Every
teachers meeting or association of
the last quarter of a century worthy
of the name has had its program
filled with matter looking toward
the improvement the public
schools. Every educational cam
paign held during that time, and
during longer period, has had for
its campaign cry the same slogan,
the betterment of the public
schools. If the Ladies Home
Journal is anxious that the Public
School System of the United States
shall be improved, it does not stand
alone.
1t is worthy of note that the
Journal articles do not lay what
ever of failure they claim to find in
the schools directly at the doors of
the teachers, nor of the schools or
boards of education. Rather, they
point out that school boards are
furnishing the schools that they
furnish, and teachers are teaching
the schools that they teach, be-
cause the public either demands or
permits such schools and such
teaching, and that the remedy is in
the hands of the public.
The January number 0 f the
periodical has an article the pith of
which is condemnation of home
study and plea, or demand, that |
all school work shall be done with
in the walls of the school house and |
within the hours of school. With
out going into the merits of this
last conte ntion, it seems to us that |
there are several propositions that
await dem onstration in connection
with il; first, is home study an evil;
second; is there SO much home
study required of pupils as to create
a general demand for its abrogat-
ion; third, if home study be elm
mated, what shall the home or
community offer in it's place to off
set the attractions of the street.
The Ladies Home Journal is not |
the first to suggest that the quest
ion of home study is a problem
needing solution Whatever may
be the conditions in other sections,
in this at least the question of
home study is of little Importance
in the first six grades of the schools,
because in those grades it is gen.
orally expected, and usually pre-
ferred, that all the work shall be
done at the school. From the sew
.enth grade up the question be-
comes more and more serious.
Locally, the teachers of the high
school and upper grades have long
had in mind and have frequently
discussed the possibility and adv
isibility of SO changing and ar
ranging the school hours that there
shall be very little, if any, necessity
of home study, the pupils be, given
the opportunity to do all the study
ing required during school hours
under the direction and help of the
school teacher. Such an arrange
ment would undoubtedly mean
departure from traditional school
hours. At present the school hours
run from 8:45 a. m, TO 3:45 p. m, or
from a. m. to p. m. This gives
in the high school, seven class per-
iods of forty minutes each per day.
AS the course of study requires
each pupil to carry four subjects, it
follows that under the present ar
rangment there are only three per-
iods of forty minutes each during
che school hours in which a pupil
may study outside OF class periods.
To make it possible for the student
| to do all his studing at school, it
would seem to be necessary to
lengthen the school period by one
l.