Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-10-23
ORED.bIR SCHOOL
MAKES fEAREING
EASY FOR CHnD

sO-cNo-of it's such fun to learn! :,
That Is the way the child students IN
Miss Feathefstone's open air school
at Waikiki feel about 1t, and one does
mot have to go very far to find the
reason Instead OF going into q warm
close school room and made to sit
long hours at a. desk not permitted
to move about as their vigorous young
energy demands, nor TO laugh nor to
do any OF these harmless things a
child likes to do, these children recite
their lessons under The blue skies,
with the graceful pain trees to pro-
tect them from the sun and the soft,
cool grass perfect footstoll for
their little feet.
Al child's most natural inclination
is to be out of doors and it is no won
der thai children protest against
knowledge when it must be bought
at the price of sunshine and air. DR..
Woods Hutchinson In, a recent arti-
Gle. Fair Play for the Child, says,
Educate child in the open air.
When you eonfne him in a four
walled brick prison chained to, a
school room desk and deprived of
even his God-giyen right TO wiggle,
you put his mind In a straitjacket
and stop il from working. !.
In the open air school the children
sswigssev as much as they wish, but
they learn, too. They laugh when
they find something to laugh at, they
are not repressed or restrained; they
are just natural and their rapid adj
NJ, Hslur ,kn1s T.
sons statement.
Here in this ideal climate, where
men and women live on lanais and
out-of-d0ofs as much as possible, 1t
seems unjust that they should force
upon their children conditions they
themselves would revolt against.
II is an inspiration in itself to watch
the children go abbflt their school
6uties: They are busy from until
10 and when yout ask them when
they work the same answer is always
given, Oh We never work" Surely
that is. an ideal condition. When ones
work can become play, the results
are hundred-fold Increased.
While the regular program is rather
elastic and can be changed If desir-
able change should present itself,
the usual elementary course is fol-
lowed In Instruction, with the addi-
ticnal advantages of French converse
'tion, fencing and swimming. +.
One morning in the past week the
children went in body to a good
vantage view of the wrecked S. C. Allen
and with their drawing material made
sketches of the ship. This IS but one
of the many Interesting and instruct
i've diversions that are provided by
Miss Featherstone. Dancing lessons
are provided to teach the children
gracefulness. and fencing gives them
perfect control of their bodies and
trains their minds to be alert. -
Visitors are always welcome and
there have been from two to 10 guests
each day since the school opened.
Women who are Watching the excel
lent results in modern education cam
not help but appreciate Miss Feather
stones action in establishing the first
open-air school in the Hawaiian isl.
ands. 1t would be safe to say that
the whole world. is talking about
open-air schools and even in coun-
tries where the. conditions are. less
ideal they have become great factors
in the scientific rearing of children.
Lanais or pavilions are used on
rainy days and the children are care
fully protected from harmful exns,
sure With the desire for knowledge
inspired or awakened under the desir-
able conditions offered by the open
air school. the children cannot help
Blu. respond, and free and untram-
meied. can win more from their eff
forts than If taught by the old discip.
linary methods. 49, ~