New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-31
Public School Policies, Plans and Ac-
compIishments set forth here:
7HYsrcAL TRAINING AND ATTENDANCE BU-
PEAUS AND PENNY LUNCH COMBINE
TO PREVENT RETARDATION.

tairs some children whose ages are
below the theoretical standards and
others whose stature and age at once
proclaim them as leverage" pupils.
The first mentioned are the abnor-
NAL pupils, and their quickness and
smartness materially help to Offset the
expense of carrying the leverage"
pupil. There are reasons for the pres
ence Of the leverage" pupil in the
class. Among these causes is the COM
mon evil Of truancy, which has re-
tarded the advancement of thousands
Of children. The absorbing desire for
physical freedom and for play is para
mount IN the natures of many children,
and 20 such children attendance at
school is a burdensome task.
The wish 10 accomplish things with
the hands in place of doing so by
using the mind is foremost with some,
and therefore the school task is irk
some. and the child becomes a truant.
Such a case does not necessarily mean
mental effectiveness, but. in many in
stances, truancy can be traced TO sub
normal conditions which If not regu-
lated often lead TO the worst kind Of
results in after life. Lack OF educa-
ton is not infrequently the cause Of
crime.
l. Is clear. therefore. that truancy
is one of the fertile causes of "retarda-
tion" and should be checked at all cost.
Notwithstanding the care that may
be exercised in the placing Of children
in the classes OF grades to which they
apparently belong, there is always the
possibility of pupils tagging in their
studies for some apparently une1-
planned reason. A child that has been
considered quite normal grows torpid
and feeble minded IN a few weeks, and
no amount of extra work on the part
of the teacher seems TO make up for
the deficiency. The child is marked
down a. the end of the term and joins
the ranks Of "retardation."
In the neighborhoods where the poor
and the plain people live. the cause for
the failure Of that child TO advance IS
not difficult 10 ascertain. in most cases
the cause is 10 be found in the home.
Poverty and distress. lack of work and
lack OF food are the family troubles.
and. whether such distress may be the
result of parental dereliction or Of
Just i'll luck, the effect on the child IS
the same. Lack Of food is frequently
found 10 be the reason why many chill
dren fail in their studies, become men
tally inert or develop tendencies 10 dis
ease and thus increase the number of
the feeble-minded and help 10 create
the condition known as "retardation."
Another cause for the existence of
"backwardness" is due 10 the influx Of
population of school age from coun-
tries where educational standards are
far below those Of this country. The
process OF educational absorption. or
assimilation. of this kind Of human
material is one of the great problems
Of this metropolis. standing, az il does,
al the gateway of the United States.
No other city has this difficulty 70 over
come, except in so insignificant form
as TO be intangible in effect. In New
York City the educational system is
maintained under conditions and diff
culties which render IL incompareb Bile
with the school systems of any other
cities in the United States. The shap-
ing and the making Of good citizens out
of the cOnglomerste masses which
reach our shores. and mainly this city.
is one Of the functions which New York
performs. and which is Of national i'm
portance and which should be recog-
nized as such By the rest of the coun-
Try.
The first duty Of the public schools is
70 teach the foreign born child TO
understand the English language.
While language study is easier at a
tender age than when the brain OF the
child solidi1es at later period. never
theless the change OF tongue IS mainly
ACQUIRED in school hours. There al
WAYS exists the Offset and the dlssd-
vantage of family environment and as
sociations where the native language ~
spoken and where the manners and
customs of the country from which the
child came are maintained and OBJ
served as far IS possible. az might be
expected. The existence OF the foreign
born child is, therefore, another reason
Tor leverage" conditions in the public
schools. and the older the child the
more difficult is the task 10 bring II up
10 our educational standards or 10
align u with the grade OF instruction
applicable 10 its chronological age.
ONLY too often is il found that the
meagre surroundings OF the early life
OF the foreign born child have pro
duced feeble mind, and have brought
about = physical condition far below