Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-07-12

tesy courses for the people who use the tele-
phone and go shopping.
The need Cor such courses given to grown
people in employment indicates gap in edu-
cation. Mothers once taught their children
all the phases of etiquette. 1t now seems
they teach almost noting along this line. "A
few rules of behavior are perhaps insisted
upon, out thai the average child remains UNI
ware of my real reason for passing behind
people instead of rushing in front of them
no one can doubt.
There are various reasons why ideals OF
courtesy re no longer part of home training.
The sentiment to give the child chance to
develop his individuality for himself is very
strong. Then, the mothers are busy with
many new interests-careers, Office work,
! clubs athletics With the lack of time or in
clination to teach children at home, there
has come a feeling that the public school
should be responsible for all phases of ed
ucation
The schools have already taken up the
question of health in crusades with records
kept of teeth brushed, baths, hours of sleep
and hours of exercise. The scohols, too, are
teaching the rules of safety first to show
children how to guard against accidents. Now
it looks as if the public schools would have to
give serious attention to courses in such
subjects as tact, consideration and how to
act on the street.
| A great many schools have already assumed
this extra burden. 1t presents serious diff
culties The lome, where the child is treated
altogether as an individual, is the most nat
ural place for him to learn how to act toward
other individuals. And, too the school
teacher has a certain course to follow, SO
much arithmetic and geography to teach: She
has little time to explain why one should not
shove but let somebody else go first.
How Manners Are Taught
But as children are not getting this instruc-
ton at home the matter is being forced on
the schools Some have definite lessons in
manners, just as in spelling. Situations are
described by the teacher and acted out by a
few pupils before the class. Other schools
use moving pictures to show how courtesies
and disco urtesies really look.
In still other schools formal lessons in man
ners are not approved. The children are
taught incidentally whenever situation
arises Some of the school officials think that
children cannot be expected to learn how to
deal with one another courteously so long as
schools are conducted like pen1tent1arles.
They think, for instance, that school chill
dren should net be herded into lines when
the bell rings and marched upstairs like co.,
victs with teachers watching to see that no
one speaks to his neighbor. The ideal, they
say. is tc have the children come up quietly
in groups as they would enter a theater or
church any other place where people
gather. THIS is practice for situations which
occur in everyday life, VIII lie marching in q
set line is not. In this connection the teach n
is supposed to stress the idea of courtesy to
others. This lesson is being taught in differ
ent ways and to different eXtents in almost
every school system. Mostly it is an mel
dental subject brought up only when the oc-
casion demands.
The effect on the class depends entirely on
the teachers personality. One educational
expert with whom we have talked thinks that
teachers should themselves be given courses
in persona ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS courtesy,
how to teach it, and what to do in all sorts
of situations not covered in the course on ped
agogy. He also thinks that the parents should
be urged to cooperate with the teachers by
instilling some of the fundamentals of cour-
tesy in the home. With both teachers and
parents setting an example for the children,
this educator thinks we should no longer need
to worry over a possible return to primitive
selfshneSs.