The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-10-09
THURSDAY. OCTOBER .. 1918.
What Is Due
the Children.

The state board OF health is send
Ing out some excellent press matter on
subjects dealing with health and sanj-
tsticn.
.What do we owe the children ?" says
. recent bulletin.
TO make them better physically. and
probably morally, than we are. Every
upon It to see that the next is better
than all that have gone before.
Why
because every generation IS working
out the AFFAIRS of life with a higher
range Of opportunity. with a better
scientific understanding of the laws
that make for perfect hygienic and
moral conditions than all that have
gone before It owes it's children the
best that 1t can give them, and that
should be better than what was given
the parents OF today when they were
young.
Morals depend largely upon physi-
cal surroundings. You can't expect .
sickly, unhealthy child to be saint
It isn't natural Parents want their
children to be happy. to be good" but
, X is expecting too much to anticipate
these qualities in a frail little body,
weakened and emaciated by disease or
by a. lack of robustness which may not
be understood
= The parent owes 1t to his child to
see that 1t is surrounded by favoring
conditions outside the home as well IS
In 1t. for a large share of the In
huences that enter into character
building. reach the maturing youngster
far from the paternal roof and through
others than the father and mother
Ane so it comes that the school, hard
IL lest than the home. determines the
ch:ld's future.
The opening of another school year
In Florida and over the entire United
States, suggests some very serious
considerations as to what the school
should be and what. in most instances,
II isn't. The buildings in which the
younger generation Is passing from
thirty to forty hours every week.
should be the best and the best
equipped sanitarily that money and
science can construct. This idea, out
side a few comparatively progressive
hold upon the public conscience. and
the old fire traps. unsightly and I'M
sanitary, In which the fathers and
mothers of today encountered the
three RS" are still doing duty for
their children. People live In better
homssb they worship in better churches.
they work In better offices and Stores,
they house their criminals in better
jaiis, they even keep their mules and
cows In better stables than a genera
ton ago, but the old school buildings
and architecture are good enough.
It seems that in many communities
the art Of school construction has been
lost, or 1t has never been acquired. |
The teacher of today is called upon to |
adapt himself or herself to the condi- |
tons that each may find. TO forgive |
neglsctful school boards their failings. |
and to bring as much good as possible |
out of unsafe and unsanitary condi- |
tlons. And fortunate 1t is that today's |
teacher. in the light of increa sing hy-
genie knowledge has large opportunity. |
The teachers duty does not end with |
mental training. If the truth were told |
frankly. to the teacher OF the younger |
children. that training is secondary ar |
should be, to the care and oversight Of |
the physical condition of the primary |
pupils. There is a long list Of dont's |
and dos that the average teacher /
should paste in his hat or keep In /
plain sight on his desk. so that they
may never be forgotten for a moment. /
The first and basic principle to start