The Washington herald., 1915-05-07
How to Teach Temperance.

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as an adjunct to our public schools by some of
our most respected citizens. 1t would be big
task to put on one teacher. There $1,000 chill
dren taught in something like 1900 rooms in
nearly 200 buildings in the District, and with less
than school days in the year this special teacher
would be hurried to get in lesson to each
schooroom in the year. The schools might be
assembled for these lessons, but with the crowded
work before the schools it would appear just
as we'll not to break in upon the regular work
with any innovations until some competent body
of educators determine whether shall give up
the old idea OF education for new curriculum,
go on in the old way trying to give the children
elementary education the approved lines
OF many years. We can't very we'll have the old
curriculum and all the innovations that sug
gested without extending the school hours or the
school year
There is the other side to the question, and
that is what the new temperance teacher would
teach. There is unanimous agreement that the
children should be taught to be temperate in all
things, and that they should have pointed out
to them the dangers of intemperance. There is
probably not teacher in the public schools of
the District now who does not impress these
lessons upon the children under his or her care
as there have been few school teachers in the
United States in the last hundred years who have
not considered such moral teaching part OF the
school work.
While there is complete agreement the
wisdom and necessity for such teaching, there
might not be complete agreement the work
of a special temperance teacher. Several years
ago organization of very worthy people had
prepared textbook on temperance, and had the
influence to secure its adoption by many boards
of education Another body of very worthy peo-
pie, with more right to an expert opinion on
physiology and chemistry, in that they we'll
known physicians, psychologists, and chemists,
condemned that textbook as unscienthc in its
presentation OF these subjects and unworthy
guide in teaching. The special teacher OF tenn
perance might fall under like criticism, whatever
line OF special treatment OF the subject chosen.
Where doctors disagree it is not wise for the
public school teacher to undertake to lay down
the final law as to the effects OF this that arti
Gle OF diet. We have many self-advertised
experts" pointing to the road
to death that millions OF people have been taught
to imagine themselves sorcly afflicted with some
dread malady when all they need is to forget the
experts, as their fathers had to throw away the
old patent medicine amanacs OF generation ago.
A compulsory physical examination OF tire
things: First, that the college students re-
markably healthy, and second, clearing out OF
their minds that tt,y had physical defect.
The professor OF Hygiene under whose direction
the examination made, said in his report:
The greatest value {; this examinations 10 my
mind is not much the detection OF "N:sting
disease. but the assurance of larger group OF
boys who think they have disease that they are
sound Curlously enough more boys thought
they were i'll with some serious organic defect,
usually the heart, and were found to be entirely
,ouid than boys who thought they were we'll
and had disease. ir many instances boys were
worrying ailments that were purely ianciful
but this worry was having a considerable effect
upon their general condition.
Wouldn't it be better to teach temperance in
the - oG old way, At home and in school, -atkcr
than to employ special teacher to so about lee
turing on the scientific aspect OF intcmpcrance to
children who could not understand, and with pos
Sibly teacher who did understand as we'll
as do the parents and family physicians? The !
parents OF the District not all ignorant or ,
vicious. and they may think they still have some
rights in regard to the training OF their children.
We have pretty we'll banshed ghosts but there is !
tendency to substitute expert bugaboos Keep
hem out OF schools. !,