The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-09-07

number of pupils who fail each year
and still a larger number eliminated
from the schools. II Is believed that
the reason for this failure is that
adequate provisions have not been
made for study and for teaching
children to study, Formerly the
school day was divided into seven
periods with four or, five recitations!.
The periods given just the length
Of recitation. The pupils did part
Of their studying IN the large as
sembly room where there were two
or three hundred other children, and
the rest Of the studying was done at
home. 1t was quite common for a.
student to prepare two or three les
sons at home. If all homes were OF
such a nature that study could be
done to advantage and If living con-
ditiong were such as to make pos
sible a couple Of hours work each
evening It Is possible that this sys-
tenn would be successful. However,
there are certain objections to home
study which have been advanced by
people interested in schools, and who
have studied school administration
that should be considered.
In the first place 1t is dangerous
to the health OF the children TO re-
Quire more than six hours of hard
mental work. Certainly, in the ev-
enlng after the varying tolls Of the
day and after supper the student
who Is struggling alone with an as
signment that is not clear, =. and
whose eyes are heavy with sleep
can not do good work, and Il would
be much better for the child TO be-
In bed getting an abundance Of sleep
during his growing period.
Then, too, long hours are condu-
cave to bad habits. Of dawdltng over
their work both in school and at
home. It is much better to have
few hours Of concentrated attention
and high pressure work with COM
plete relief at other times. Pupils
should be taught to work rapidly
with all their energy and then play
or recreation should follow.
No Control At Home.
Another objection to home study
is that the amount of time devoted
to lessons at homo can not be con-.
trolled. 1t is impossible to insist
that all children spend q certain
number Of hours in the preparation
of their lessons at home because OF
the conditions of the home itself.
Where home study Is depended up
on to a large degree. teachers make
assignments without reference to
each other and it Is often discover
ed that 1t would require four or five
hours to successfully prepare these
lessons. And another objection Is
that lessons to get in the home in
terfere with other responsibilities of
the children that are no less educa-
tive than school duties. 1t Is ques-
tionable whether the school has a
oh n al n
the children after school. There are
many ways in which the time Of
children can be spent to advantage
while school is not in session. Many
boys and girls can be profitably en-
ployed in work. There are church
duties and there are also other So
cial duties that are no less neces-
sary and beneficial than some Of the
school duties. The schools, there
fore, should not monopoliZe all the
time Of the children.
1T also destroys, in a way, home
life and substitutes a hard and I'M
inspiring task for the ideals Of
hearth-side and home circle. It
makes childhood abnormally severe
by its relentless grind. day and
night, giving little opportunity for
enjoyment OF culture and leisure.
sohoo Hours Heightened.
Tn order to reduce home study TO
a minimum Fargo is trying out the
method OF supervised study in the
Junior and senior high school. The
day has been heightened, school be-
ginning at $40 and lasting until
400 o'clock. The day is divided into
six periods Of SO minutes each The
first part OF -ttfe- period IS devoted
TO recitation and the second part Of
the period is spent in the studying
Of the next days lesson under the
supervision of the teacher. Thus
every teacher knows that every pu-
pill in her class spends at least 35
minutes in careful preparation Of the
next days assignment. II more time
Is needed the lesson can be COM
pleted in the two or three extra Pc