Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-12-21
THE SCHOOLS AND THE "FLU'

One of the amazing things in connection with the
influenza epidemic which has been sweeping the coun-
try and the world is not that during it's progress the af-
fairs Of men have been delayed, hampered and disorgan-
lied, but that under conditions which have affected so
many, and which have been fatal to a greater number
than in any former epidemic within a like period. it has
been possible to carry on the ordinary activities of life
at all. Everything has been affected, yet nowhere has
the field been entirely abandoned to the disease. Per-
haps the temporary abandonment has been most nearly
complete with the schools. With them there is no. mid
die ground between closing and remaining open, and
closing has very generally been thought necessary. =
A very pertinent question arises in this connection.
On what basis shall the rest of the years work be con-
Quoted after it has been found feasible to reopen the
schools? Shall an attempt be made to make up lost
time by doing extra work, and thus completing in the
shortened period the full course of study prescribed for
the year; shall the work after re-opening proceed at
about the usual rate, leaving part of the course un-
covered at the close of the year, and requiring pupils
to take the 1918 work again in 1919; or shall the course
for this year be materially shortened, permitting passing
marks to be given for a smaller quantity of work than
usual?
Inasmuch as our graded school courses framed
with considerable rightly this inquiry is especially per-
tinent with reference to them,t and some decision must
be made by every common school board having the SUBJ
ject in charge.
The Grand Forks schools, for instance. have been
closed since September. In point of time they might as
we'll not have been opened at all, for it will take prac-
1caily a S much time to review the slight amount of
work done in the brief open period in the fall as to do
the work over afresh. The school year will therefore
be limited to the time after January 6. Some time may be
gained by shortening or eliminating holidays, and school
may be extended for some time into what is usually the
long summer vacation. BUT whel, all of this is done,
II 1t is done, the full course cannot we'll be covered with
out putting the entire system under higher tension than.
usual. Presumably the course is now arranged 3 as
to call for the full amount Of work that children of the
various grades should perform. The completion of the
full years work, therefore, would necessarily mean over
cronding, which is to be avoided.
To require that the years. work be repeated next
year, thus adding a year to the child's progress through
the grades. does not appear desirable from any stand
point. ~
There remains the third method, Of cutting the
course to fit the year and it's peculiarities, and this APP
pears to be the sensible thing to do. When allowance
has been made for the time that Gan be gained by cut
ting down. vacations and in other ways, the course need
not, perhaps, be greatly shortened. But it will certainly
be better to prescribe less work and have it wen done,
than to undertake to cover the entire field and have the
children rush through it with their minds in a fog.