The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1913-04-22
WRESTLING AT WORK
"A GRIM E?

Not long ago the principal of one
of the largest schools in a neighbor.
ing city went into his sloyd room
where thirty boys were busily at
work, and amid the din Of saw and
hammer his ear detected the merry
whistle of happy boy. He turned
to the teacher in charge Of the room
and asked him II he allowed the boys
to whistle while working. The teach.
er pondered a moment. WELL" he
replied, 81 hadn't really noticed it
Perhaps had better tell him to
STOP" Yes, would" said the prin.
cipal. I'VE can't have them whistling
in school," So the noise" was forth.
with stopped, and the good old stan.
dard was maintained.
There are extremely interesting
principles involved in this episode.
The head of that school represents in
h striking way a certain type of ed.
ucational procedure. He stands for
the notion that any indication of hap
piness in school is crime. The sa.
cred walls of the school room must
not be polluted with the vile sound
of whistling. He does not ask him
self the questions-What harm was
that boy doing by giving vent to a
wholesome sentiment with his lips
while busily engaged upon some
piece of furniture for his home? What
particular quality does the sound of
whistling possess that distinguishes
1t from the sound Of hammer and saw
and makes 1t fit subject for rebuke?
Is 1t inconsistent? When has 1t been
inconsistent to whistle while at work?
Is it disorderly? Then whom does 1t
disturb? Why should not all the
boys whistle? What harm could it do?
| know sloyd room where the boys
sing while at work. Yes, they sing
If they want to, and why not? Should
not heart and hand go together in
the work of the world? 1t is absurd
TO repress the finest emotions while
the declared aim of education is ex-
preston. What is the sloyd room
but d place for concrete expression?
The normal boy Is a veritaDie store
house Of potential emotions. Restrict
their wholesome expression, and they
are apt to break out in unwholesome
ways. 1t seems to me that the sloyd
room is the place Of all places where
the boy should be encouraged to give
the fullest and freest expression OF
the best that Is in him. Herein lies
the efficacy Of manual work as part
of our educational procedure. There
are unhappy moments enough in the
life Of the average boy and If per-
chance he bubbles over with Joy in
his school work, 1t isn't a Dad omen
for the kind Of work he is doing or
the attitude he Is taking toward it.
The question naturally arises how
far in sloyd or other school work can
spontaneous expression of JOY take
place without interfering with the
quality Of the school work as whole?
II has been demonstrated In the speci'
al schools Of this city, those school,
which take care Of truants and social
ed 'incorrigibles," that considerable
freedom can be given boys in method
and in conduct without seriously i'm
peding the progress Of their work, In
deed they do more work, perhaps not
quite SO good in quality but certainly
done with a more wholesome attitude
than In regular schools from which
they come. In the special schools, II
boy feels like whistling he whistles,
If he feels like singing he sings, il he
feels like boxing he boxes, provided
some other boy will "call his bluff"