Omaha daily bee., 1914-08-19
Girls and Algebra
by EDGAR LUCIEN LARKIN.

Glad tIdinRs OF great JOY in the United
states, science. reason. pity and mercy
combined in one speech by an educator
before the National Educational associa-
ton at It's session in st. Paul, Mimi.
! j. II. Francis superintendent of the
/ Los Angeles schools with holiness
equal to that OF Thomas Paine. stood
before the teachers OF the nation and
made a plea for human mercy and kind
ness, His plea was that girls should never
/ hereafter he taught algebra
For years, since / saw human mental
misery before my eyes, OF girls suffer
/ ing over algebra, I have published over
and over again my severe denunciatiou
Of the horrors inflicted upon girls "a
/ teaching them algebra. A few Of my
! reasons are repeated
First-Womcn absolutely and positively
! have no use for algebra.
! sccoud--lt is q total waste Of their time
/ to compel them 10 study it,
Third-lt is known to mentalists that
| the teaching OF algebra 10 girls injuries
their minds. aud In many sad cases for
life.
Fourth--lu hundreds OF serious cases,
! algebra has permanently injured tina
health of young women.
! Fifth-Now. since mentallsts have dis
covered these facts. 1t ia a crime to teach
algebra to girls.
In the name OF plain, common humanity.
! | here now write this. Have not women
enough to suffer Without being compelled
to suffer more?
J was in y second hand book store onc6
looking over some school books. I picked
up quite well worn algebra, and upon
rapidly turning over the pages saw little
places here and there. l knew in an
instant what they were-tears. ! knew.
because I have seen them fall when teach-
ing mathematics to young women.
| Further along in the book, opposite Il
difficult uiadratic equation, | saws these
words. "Oh Gcrtrude!" | knew their fear
fil import 'rhey were written by girl
TO a schoolmate close TO her in the school
room
Concentrated human suffering dwells
as fires of inuulsition in these two words
The writer was on the eve OF a mental
nervous breakdown from long-continued
and severe suffering. She was in agony
OF preparing for some merciless third
degree horror" OF examination. That is,
the girl who wrote. "oh, Gertrude" was
partially insane from terrific mental pain.
know IT, for | have seen It.
And now, here on this peaceful summit,
in quiet and rest, here In the mountain
sunshine OF July day, my own mind IL
larrassed with suffering to think that L
was the cause during seven years Of just
such agony.
! taught high mathematical science to
young women | would die in poverty
rather than teach algebra and higher
branches 10 them again. Since those days
have talked with number, married
and gone, and not one ever had a trace
of use for algebra, to say nothing of the
higher.
Then the work, agony. pain and despair,
nervous fortunes, crushing pain OF mind,
injury to brain cells and wreck OF bodily
health time and tuition fees to the col
lege-al these, and more. were thrown
away-not merely wasted. but actually
an injury.
Cannot these facts be rammed into tho
heads OF modern algebra faddists? II
the utter uselessness of algebra for girls
does not affect them 1 will here write
this
TO Teachers OF Algebra to Girls-I here
by, In the name Of human mercy, ask you
to stop.
The plea Of superintendent ]. II.
| Francis should be published In every
school district under the United States
; flag and translated into all foreign
! languages.
To every father and mother ! present
this plea: When school begins this fall
send a note to the teacher requesting that
your daughters be excused from the study
OF algebra. and even arithmetic in its
higher department. II the text book con-
z book contains positively useless examples
never used in lifetime,
If the teacher refuses apply to thd
school board. II the board refuses to
omit algebra, take the girl out OF school
and over to a scientific moving picture
; show. II the authorities force your
! daughter to school to study algebra sus
out writ of habeas corpus.
Substitute teaching OF things that by
natures inherent right they ought and
are entitled 10 know.
The making OF a beautiful modest dress
is many millions OF times greater for a
| girl than the wearisome solution in dire
| pain Of a quadratic that to her is worse
| than useless-injurous Cannot our next
tains positively useless examples never
| used In lifetime.