The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1912-01-12
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>sla 49,
EVADING RESPONSIBILITY.

IN AblNNI iNE<SI o4>oID Dill L,
During the past month a number of
people have been quietly circulating
petitions among the taxpayers to al
low the high school dances in the new
high school gymnasium with proper
control over the students by the school
authorities, with some of the teachers
in attendance at the dances to main
tain order A number of signers were
obtained for the proposition on the
ground that the high school students
were at present attending public
dances, both boys and girls, without
proper supervision on the part of the
parents. In fact, very dark pictures
were painted of the evil of the public
dances for the young children. At
first glance the proposition would
seem to be a step in the right direction
for those who dance. But close scru-
tiny of the actual working of the plan
convinces the Times that the school
directors are confronted with big
problem, which should be met by the
parents without regard to the high
school. To throw the responsibility
for moral questions upon the board is
a clear evasion of the parental res
school board or the superintendent to
decide whether the child is subject to
temptation outside of school hours or
give them jurisdiction over the ethics
which properly belong to the home.
Nor is it just or right for the school
to place its approval on dancing by
sanctioning dances under it's auspices
when the matter of whether the child
shall dance or not rests solely with
the parents of the child
By so doing the school is placing the
child in antagonism to the parental
control, for with the persistancy of
every child the word of the instructors
or the influence goes long ways and
the sanctioning of dancing will work
hardship on the parent of the child
who according to law is made respon
sible for the child's conduct until ma
turity is reached. In fact that law
holds the parent responsible for every
act of the child, whether in school or
out and does not delegate to the school
authorities any control whatsoever
outside of school hours. If dancing
was part of the curriculum of the
school then the school authorities
matter of dancing moral question
with the parent and the household, the
Times fails to see any reason why the
dancing should even be considered in
the high school building, where it
brings moral question of the home
into question. Within the last decade
a great agitation was brought up re-
garding the holding of religious eXer-
cises in the public schools and while
only minority opposed such exer-
cises, the matter was dropped out of
respect for the religious scruples of
that minority. The question of dane
ing is in the same class, a question
for the home, not the school-a ques-
ton for the parent, not the school
board A moral question outside of
the educational questions over which
the school authorities have control
Another question of square dealing
with the taxpayers enters into the ar
gument The new high school build
ing has already cost more money than
was anticipated. A large amount of
this expense was incurred by the
building of gymnasium and auditorium
at time when space for the essential
class rooms was demanded. Twenty
five thousand dollars spent in two
non-essentials, would have constructed
much more class room. Still the tax
payers voted the bond issue in full
faith that the schools needed the bond
issue, although the non-essential, due
to location, was constructed before the
essential and needed class rooms Yet
there was considerable question in the
minds of many who voted that bond
issue and it is certain that if the
thought had entered the minds of the
parents who voted for that issue, of
the high school being converted into a
temptation to their young, the bond