South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-10-02
Away Nth Old
Prison Methods
Letter Pleas for More Natur-
al Training for School
Children.

The following is quoted from the
$500 prize letter in answer to the re-
markable series of articles by Ella
Frances Lynch. in criticism of our
present public school methods:
If Froebel should visit a modern
school looking for his child's garden,
he would find school room with a
ring painted on the floor. Its paths
would be floor cracks; its flowers
would be chalked decorations; its
teacher probably the poorest paid. i'm
mature girl of the school system. If
] could persuade him to look in upon
a primary room he would find nice
little cells called desks instead of
tables and chairs accommodating that
God given activity which is the basis
Of child development. He would find
q period for reading. one for spelling,
one for arithmetic, one for geography.
one for music, for handwOrk, for
drawing. for nature study. for-but
why name them all? Poor FrOebel!
he would not recognize the creature
of his pedagogical foresight.
To cheer him up, ! would lead him
To a distinctive schOol-there are a
few Such-where the music is like the
spontaneous outburst OF birds on a
sunlit morning. where history and
geogra ply are interviewer with stories
and treated as literature; where ma
ture study is nature love and Out-Of-
doors amid the birds. flowers and
GODS country: where hand work
makes use Of the larger muscles Of
the arms legs and back in gardening
and manual deNterity; where number
work is relegated to the rear: where
children march. sing. work, study and
play with joy and unself-cOnSciOus-
nesS-a school whose pupils are chill
dren and not little old men and
women.
OF course these children do not
know the capital of Kamchatkigo; or
how to define proposition; or to draw
a trapeZium: or to do, re, me. fa or
To bend from the hips in the aisles
between rows of desks (did you ever
see a schoolbOy who could do athletic
stunts out of school try this school
exercise p or to conduct safely a bale
of hay from POdunk. y J.. to Cape
Town. Africa, via the new Panama
canal.
No. none of these things. Ny boy
can only look at you with bright, clear
eyes, greet you with CHEEKY word
the picture of health, joy and sturdi
ness. He can only read with express
sion about things of which he has
knowledge: can only talk about what
understands the things which are
within the understanding of a young
lad.
] saw hi"o on his way home. No
book strapped load under his arm. [
saw him greeted with a mothers love. |
saw his rabbits and garden and /
pictured with enviOus eyes a loving
parent bending over a little bed at
dusk with a God-keep you pat on the
forehead for the little man Of tOmOr-
row.
Yes, Miss Lynch IS right Away
with the desks and busy work and
cramp-fingered weaving and folded
hands and lOw-salaried primary
teachers and all those things which
prevent me from staying more than
a minute in the average primary
school lrresistibly l always turn
from the books. charts, outlines and
papers to some golden framed face
and smile. After a glance at the
teacher to see if the coast is clear, my
little lady smiles back ara then |
know that the wealtl Of ,he world is
human and that my girl of the golden
hair must somehow be saved to this
wealth even if syndicalistic methods
must be applied TO the present edu
cative process.
But the new freedom has not yet
come into education. The ingrowing,
pedagogical conscience still influences
the ingrowing mind. There must be
many Miss Lynch's before things will
be righted.