The evening world., 1920-11-18

y AGE Chesterfield in any New
York public school before long
and he'll answer.
For a movement is on foot to teach
courtesy to the young. One may
hope they will not depart from 10
when they are old enough to go to
meetings OF the Board OF Estimate
aud the Lockwood committed At
the last meeting OF the Teachers
Council it was voted to ask the Board
OF Superintendents to frame detail
cd, definite course n manners, graded
from the kindergarten through the
high school, and compulsory for every
boy and girl IN the puDEc school sys-
TEN. Not less than twenty minutes a
week is TO be devoted TO this impor-
tant subjeCt--sU ImpUt taHL that an
English motto hundreds Ot years old,
informs US, Manners maketh man"
Because Frank j. Arnold, principal
OF Public School No. lIS, Is Chairman
OF the committee which recommended
this new course, calleu On him Ia his
school office, at Fourth Avenue and
Fifty-ninth street, Brooklyn, to ask
for more particulars.
what sort OF manners are you go
ing to teach New York children" 1
asked.
Good manneru!" smiled Mr.. Ar
mold.
AT the table," / partlcularized.
Certainly" he replied AS l SEQ
It, table manners should be a most
important feature OF any course in
the general subject. It IS Just such
detailed instruction as how 10 eat
soup or which knife of two 10 use
for meat that those or US who recOm-
mended the course feel children
should receive.
Manners have been taught In a
general way in tho schools since 1911.
But We feel that, rust as OIrr teach
ers who make the morning examtnR-
tion for cleanliness must deal with
particulars-ears. teeth, Geo the
teaching OF manners should deal with
particulars-the formulas OF correct
introduction, touching the cap when
8. boy meets a girl or a LADY. stands
ing when an older person entaTE ene
room.
instruction. tE niocnners is the night
OF al ,'nuuren. ana an Illustration OF
the American principle OF equal OBJ
portunity. why shouldn't a boy, no
mattsr how poor and primitive his
home environment learn how to CON
duct himself in such manner that
he will not be embarrassed whatever
the surroundings his energy and am
bitIon very likely will earn for him,
after he leaves school? Only with
great difficulty. and ut the cost or
snubs and heart-purnings, will he
learn then the simple formulas OF
courteous human intercourse.
81 myself" added Mr.. Arnold, have
seen a man drink out OF hnger-
bowl He was simply ignorant-but
why couldn't he have been taught
when he was in school? A teacher
told me OF taking out TO dinner one
a. her pupils and crony Of MS.
They made an agOniZing eHort to 90
the correct thing, and yet the results,
she said, were appalling, The other
dhv, while travelling in the subway
through a good residential section OF
RrooklYn, saw three schoolooys De-
gin to fight good -naturedIy among
themselves, but with so much noise
ana shouting and lurching about that
they disturbed every one else in tQe
car II is such instances as these
that Nave induced the majority OF the
tpaohers to recommend "a course IN
manners for the public schools
Although. as Mr.. Arnold pointed
out. IL is the Board of Supcrnten-
,:suts which is supposed to shape the
new course. lie gave me, at my re,
quest, his ideas as TO how u should
be graded ... .,,n,,
sbould be graded good" he pointed
out but naturally the simplest Cour-
tra.es should be learned first-as IN
any wcll-cOnductcd home
''The little ones i'm the kmdCreaFten
should be taught how to say please
20 ,"" address, thcir Oilers politely, not
10 speak to them unless spoken TO-,
not 10 pass i'm front of them not 20
sit down when older persons are
standing.
I'm thr next higher grades one of
fine most important codes Of manners
viii he table manners There is no
reason why the teacher, with the aid
or a small table and n few table fur
nishmgs borrowed from the school 3
domestic science department, should
not create u property dining table
and show the children how to behave
at il. Teaching manners should not
be merely a matter OF precept; the
children should have a chance TO
practice.
"For still older children, the way
10 behave in the presence OF the op-
pGsite sex Is matter which should
not be neglected in the lessons In
manners. Let the boy learn to walk
on the outside when he Is with a
girl: let her learn TO thank him for
a pleasant afternoon when ne leaves
er after taking her TO the moving
pictures. quiet behavior In trains
and other public places should be
part Of the instruction And boys
and girls ought to know how to per
form intrOductions; that q gentleman
is presented 20 "a lady, younger lady
to an older one, "a person Of lesser
,Cial position TO one whose social
role is more important Introduc-
tons arc extremely important, and 40