The Washington herald., 1913-09-08
old BLACKBOARD
SOON MAY PASS
Substitute Wanted for Prin-
cipal Object Of School
Room.
DUST VERY INJURIOUS
Authorities Agree as to Desirability Of
Obtaining Improvement-Paper
Cost Prohibitiye.

Now that the opening of the District
schools is only about tive weeks dis
| tant, the agitation against the old
and It seems that that ancient institu-
tion of school life cannot call single
friend to its defense.
For more than year The Washing
ton Herald has been receiving letters
protesting against the blackboard, and
suggesting various devices to take its
place. These protests are becoming
more numerous now that September 22
is approaching.
The chief point raised against the
blackboard is that II is a dust maker,
and. as such. is a menace to the health
| Of the school children. 1t Brheld that
| the blackboard justly may be charged
with starting numerous disorders of
the throat and lungs. Large sheets of
paper. to be used with grease crayons
| that cause no dust. are the most gen.
orally suggested substitute.
Blackboard Without Defenders.
II the blackboard has any friend, he
is not to be found on the Board of
Education OF either the District or the
| Federal government. DR.. William NJ.
| Davidson. superintendent of schools,
and DIR. p. P. ClaXton, United States
Commissioner of Education. are both
! lined up against it. But IT is probable
that the blackboard. to all intents and
purposes, will be the victor for some
time TO come in the controversy. for
| it is agreed that no practical substi-
| tutes have been found.
| One OF the chief grounds for complaint
| that the educators make is seldom heard
| expressed outside of educational circles.
| Every one knows that the blackboard
must cause dust, and that dust is un-
! healthy: but few people realize that
/. blackboards, unless carefully construct
ed, are injurious to the eyes Of school
children.
Il am not prepared to talk extensively
on the i'll effects of the dust caused by
the use of the blackboard, said Mr..
Davidson yesterday; but I do know
| that a poor blackboard may cause trou-
BILE to the pupils eyes. A shiny board is
very hard on the eyes. This and other
disadvantages OF the blackboard have
been known for years, and for years
men have been trying to find something
that will answer the purpose as well.
II has been found that a board that is
very dark green in color is as serviceable
and less injurious to the eyes. Many
OF them are in use here and elsewhere.
| Paper has been suggested as a sub
stitute. There is only one fault to find
with that, and IL is that the price would
be practically prohibitive. The taxpay-
ers would not stand it. II would take
years Of preparation TO get the people
educated TO such an expense. don't see
anything TO do now but to provide the
schools with the best blackboards and
the best chalk we can. It's a necessary
evil"
DR.. CIaxtOn's Views.
DR.. CIaxton's ideas on the matter are
slightly different.
There is probably no country on earth
where the blackboard is used as exten-
sively as in the United States. 1 be-
lieve II is used more than necessary.
Here we have the idea that the children
must do their work up in front of the
class. In Germany, where they have
accomplished more in the instruction
of arithmetic, composition and certainly
more in training in writing than We
have, the blackboard seldom is used.
There rarely is more than one small
board in the room. The children work
on pads OF paper. and their work is in
spected by the teacher individually.
THE oId-fashioned blackboard is
dirty and unhealthy, and the sooner we
get rid of it the better, but just at pres
ent II Is not pTactlcal 10 throw II out
of the schools completely. Something
for the pupils 10 write on is necessary,
and paper, the substitute often sug-
gested. is easily wrinEled and has many
other faults.
But there is way to lessen the
trouble. In the first place the black
hoard space in the average school room
should be greatly reduced. More by
far than is necessary is used. And in
the second place the most improved
boards. chalk and erasers should be put
into the schools.
There is a man in Washington who
has invented an eraser of chemically
prepared cloth that practically catches
and holds all the dust Then there is a
certain grade of chalk that is made OF
tale. This is good because the paFti-
cles are heavy, and instead of becoming
powdered and floating through the air,
they fall to the dust rack and may be
swept up"