The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-02-04
CURRENT COMMENT
Discipline in Schools.

a
a little pertrubed by the recommends
ton of Prof. Hanus and his committee OF
experts to authorize the logging of UNI
ruly pupils. 1t is said that at present,
though all forms of corporal punishment
are forbitten by the regulations, the
rule is frequently broken, and the point
is made that if there is to be whipping
IL should be legalized and regulated. On
general principles that view is sound,
| though it is no applied by reformers to
| all things segregation and regula-
tions of gambling and other vices, for in
stance 1t is always unfortunate when
regulations do not correspond perfectly
with practice, so that infraetions OF the
rules have sometimes to be condoned.
yet If the rules represent an ideal IT
may sometimes be question whether
relaxing them would be a backward step.
That there is danger of losing some
of the ground wrested from brutality we
have seen OF late in the revived der'and
for the infection of pain lpol offenders
whose deeds specially shock thu moral
sensibilities of the public. For example,
it has not been easy to arouse the Brit
ish public to sense of the prevalence of
touched, instead of calling for the firm
and infexible operation of such laws as
are enforced against other criminals, it
insisted that such wretehes as these it
had been hearing about should be made
to suffer physical pain, and, despite the
protests Of a few surviving huInaniss
rians, corporal punishment has been re.
instated. In this, as in other matters,
there is too much disposition to let clip
ground recently gained.
In the school room fiogging was till
quite lately the normal and axpecte
thing. 1t came down to us from the an |
cient Romans, who were severe disciplin- |
arians, and whose ideas and methods |
governed education. Yet even among |
them there were occasional protests from |
teachers who perceived the |
evil of depending upon pain and fear |
and OWNED better ways of shaping |
character and encouraging knowledge |
In our own time plenty of expert teach
ers can be found who have no more use
for a whip than for branding iron, and
who say bluntly that the teacher who
sannot control his classes without resort
10 physical force is incompetent. But
here seems to be the rub; these same
Investigators who advocate the rod
speak disparagingly of the quality o.
much Of the teaching. Thus fooging
nay be viewed as a cheap substitute fer
he ideal school control
1t is not, however, proposed to author
re it everywhere but only in certain
chools, well distributed throughout the
.ity, into which unruly pupils could be
lrafted like French soldiers into the pen
Il legion in Algeria. and over whose
PORTALS might be inscribed 'Iiscate ogni
speranza vol che entrate," or at lease
he Latin motto of a famous English
chool Learn or be beaten"-the third
derivatives, to leave, being cue OF by tho
ruant officer. An objection is that these
would, of course, become practically re-
orm schools, and that there would be
stigma in attending them because o.
he incorrigibles drafted into them from
Their schools. But could not the same
esults be achieved without sanctionine |.
he rod by putting into such shoots tie .
blest disciplinarians who could be found
len with a special gift for controlling ,
ad boys and influencing their character! ,
T after a thorough trial such suasion ;
allied, sterner measures might be ne,es- !
arv. but the collapse Of discipline in .
iany rooms may at present Indicate !
nly a weakness in the teacher. To pro. +.
ide real CONTAINERS for AL the schools :
ouid Of course. be out Of the question. /
nd q teacher who Is helpless before one /;
boy NAV do the routine
ork very well. But there is something
spellent in the idea Of relieving them :
y sending their failures Of to a logger. !
{ iirst-rste discipline have it, turn fret. :
that fails there are already parent :
/" schools 70 which incorrigibles can - !,
'mmitted. Springfield. Mas, Repuhli- i
in. !,