davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The New York herald., 1921-01-09

to the Jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the
United States and of the State wherein they
reside This, you see, includes those under
21 as well as over Therefore. may we
suggest that citizens of tomorrow be
changed to citizens Of to-day or voters Of
tomorrow?
1--WE appreciate very much your generous
offer to the high school students"
The reaction Of the students of the George
Washington High School, at Broadway and
Academy street, in the upper part of Man
haitian, has proved most interesting. There
are both boys and girls enrolled in that in
stitution, from which voters of tomorrow
are so shortly to be sent to take their places
in the management of public affairs.
Arthur A. Boylan, the principal said the
appealing strongly to the students and that
doubtless many manuscripts would be sent
from his school The work in civics and
economics there is in charge of two able
young teachers, who are in thorough accord
with the spirit of the boys and girls who
are working out their theses for the COM
petition
II observe with much interest said Mr..
Boylan. "that THE New YORK HERALD
stresses the need of all the essays being
expressed in the clearest. most concise and
most forcibe English, That is a fine idea,
and therefore l have especially advised the
teachers of English in this school of that
The New York herald., 1921-01-09
High School Pupils Concentrate in $10O Essa

T yp
FM Mp M
The New York herald., 1921-01-09


periods. With the return to their classes
they renewed their discussion of the present
day problems in the light not only Of their
economic courses but also in connection with
extensive readings Of Adam Smiths Wealth
Of Nations" which is being read by some Of
the older pupils In preparation for national
high school competition.
The closing date, January IA, has there
fore given fully three weeks time in which
to prepare the essays. This period, how
ever. represents only part of the back
ground which all students of the high
schools in the fourth classes have for their
work.
Although it is not known generally to the
public, the high schools of New York city
now have one Of the best and most compre-
hensive courses in economics and civics in
the country. The required, or compulsory,
course in economics for the fourth year,
which all students must take before they
are graduated takes into consideration all
the ranges of preparation considered essen
tial for the future voter.
The younger students are inducted into
community civics in SUCH way as to be
keenly sensitized to all their surroundings.
They learn in the earlier stages all about
the government of the city of New York
and thereby are made to realize how the city
provides water. clean streets and protection
of the health of the people. Thus the
student is kept in touch first with the State
The New York herald., 1921-01-09
Two Kinds of Disciplinary Problems
Arise From Variations in Morale

Because children arc children in their
natural behavior. because they have inn
pulses and interests leading to actions that
are both beneficial and harmful, because
they differ profoundly among themselves and
because the school is established to direct
their interests and activities along rather
definite and common lines problems of dis
cipne arise These problems are OF two
rather distinct though closely related types
one of these Is a problem in organization
and management by which provisions are
made for the general procedure I'm the vari-
Gus school activities. the ways OF playing
the game" The general attitude and spirit
of che school in conforming with intelligence,
sympathy and pride to maintain these Gus
toms and standards represents the morale"
Of the school or grade. It is evidence of the
type and success in meeting this general
problem of discipline. The masses of chill
dren will outwardy conform to almost any
standard set up. whether repressivo loose.
The New York herald., 1921-01-09
School Discipline Its Workings For Against Citizenship

specialized inaptitudes which are not re-
vealed by physical tests. The behavior OF
troublesome individual children should never
be regarded as evidence of vicious anti
social spirit until the causes of the particular
forms of delinquency are thoroughly inves-
tigated. The badness in boys and girls
often entirely disappears when they are
given work suited to their interests and
capacities.
Nagging affects children just as it does
grownups-it irritates them and stimulates
them to- unseemly retaliation Sarcasm
makes an enemy of any one upon whom ~
is used. No teacher ever helps a boy by
holding him or his work up to ridicule.
In the development of the new education
many influences are at work making for a
more humane and more effective type Of
school discipline School work is being en-
riched by materials and problems which ap-
peal to the interests of children and which
are more closely identifying the school ac-
tivities with the work and the events of out
side life. This is changing the schools from
places of mechanical drudgery to places that
offer work no less hard and exacting, bui
work that is attractive and Immediately
meaningful.
The use of careful physical examinations
and the following up of cases found defective
are also leading to the revelation of causes
underlying the behavior Of children whose
not impossible. Almost invariably the re-
moval of these causes is followed by i'm
proyement in behavior. Mental tests are
likewise found increasingly helpful in ac-
counting for undesirable conducts and in
suggesting treatment that is remedial.
Teachers Becoming More Humane
Under Present Day School System
Slowly. but surely also. teachers are be-
coming more humane and more just as they
realize more fully that 1t is the business OF
the school to illustrate In it's own practices
the ideals of good citizenship and the ameni-
ties of social refinement. Constructive and
generous supervision of teaching by able
supervisors or helping teachers and the CO.
operation of home and school visitors are
also means by which n more rational and
inst discipline is promoted in many school
systems.
In school after school plans are gradually
working out successful measures of partial
self government through the close coopera-
ton of pupils and teachers. Children are
more and more learning to take the re-
sponsibility for their own conduct. but al
ways with such help and guidance as are
needed from teachers to maintain worthy
standards
without doubt, public opinion, a more
thorough going and humane psychology and
a wiser and better theory of education are
driving out the autocratic, dictatorial and
brutal type Of school discipline. Common
sense is also begnningN to assert itself In
helping to establish policies and practices OF
such law and order as are required In civil
lied society in the schools that have been
experimenting in anarchy and unguided I'M
pulses Hope lies in the golden mean--free-
dom for the development of all that is best
in the personality of each child under the
guidance of such control as Is essential to
the well being Of all.
The New York herald., 1921-01-09

avenue and 116th street, has girl pupils
only, and it is also a centre of advanced
thought on cvics and economics. The stu
dents there wish to have it emphasized that
they are not .merely citizens to be, but that
they are also surely looking forward to be-
ing voters. Equal suffrage is shibboleth
at Wadleigh, and woe to the man who does
not in every way recognize the ever mem
orable amendment providing equal rights,
which is now part Of the organic law of
the land.
Class in Community Civics
Stresses Point of Citizenship
So explicit are they of Wadleigh on this
point that the class in community civics,
on whose behalf one of it's members Miss
Clara L. Carson, writes, wishes to have this
point made clear.
In her letter TO the Contest. Editor she
says
1--WE are very much interested in the
prizes which you are offering to the fourth
year high students in civics and economics.
We think that this Is very public spirited
movement on the part of THE New York
HERALD. and therefore we take the liberty of
drawing your attention to the phrase citi-
zens of tomorrow. which appears in the
announcement of this contest.
"The United States Constitution defines
citizenship thus: All persons born or nat
uralized in the United States and subject
The New York herald., 1921-01-09
Educators Approve of
tt m u | a tion Of
Thought on Civics
and Economics, and
Widely Known Per-
sons Will Act as
the Judges

and then in relation with the Federal Gov
ernment.
In these days, when radicalism is shouted
from soap boxes on the street corners and
heavy accents are placed on half baked and
untried ideas, such a course in civics has
had wide and salutary effect The au-
thorities in the eighteen months in which
these courses have been tested find that the
healthy and normal tone of the student
sentiment has been deepened and strength
ened
No Trace of BoIshevist ideas
Can Be Found in Any School
From what can be learned at this stage,
with the time for the final closing of the
contest nearly a week distant, the essays
will show SAM and normal trend which
Will disabuse the public mind of any linger-
ing impression that any Bolshevist tenden-
cies are present in the public school system.
In fact, well devised test along these lines
made little more than q year ago revealed
negative results.
The character of the judges who are to
pass the merits of the essays will make
the final awards most Illuminating and in
structive. Those who have been good-as
to give time from their busy lives to the
task Of passing on the essays are:
Judge Alton Ii. Parker, distinguished
iurist and once Democratic candidate for
President of the United States.
William FellOwes Morgan, president of
the Merchants Association of New York.
Mrs. Sara A. COnboy, an official of the
union of textile workers, who represents
not only the outlook of the industrial
classes but also is especially qualified to
pass on the feminine point of view which
will come into the offerings of the girl
contestants.
On account Of the desire to have all man
uscripts brief and concise, the rules of the
contest require that they shall be at least
1000 words in length, but shall not exceed
1000. They must be written on one side of
the paper and preferably typed.
Winning Essays and Others
The winning essays will be printed in the
Sunday edition of THE New York HERALD
and the Contest Editor may also publish
meritorious manuscripts receiving honor
able mention, for which the regular space
rates will be paid.
All desiring to compete should bear i'm
mind that the essays should bear the name,
school and house address of the contestants.
They should be directed plainly to The Con
test Editor. Sunday Department, New YoRK
HERALD $50 Broadway, in whose hands they
should be not later than January IA. in order
to receive consideration.
The New York herald., 1921-01-09
BY FREDERICK C. BONSER,
Professor of Education, Teachers Colleg
Columbia University.

r n America every form of school discipline
may be found from the extremes of the
hard. cruel tyranny of autocracy to the
soft, mushy, irresponsible license of anarchy.
Between these extremes are ideas of control
varying with the teachers conceptions of the
degree to which individual self-expresslon
may be permitted without injury to the indi-
vidua himself or to the society Of which he
is part.
4 Those teachers whose practice is more or
less autocratic hold that children are natur-
ally inclined to be bad and that desirable
behavior can be secured only by suppression
coercion and enforced conformity through
sense of fear. These teachers have~no faith
i'm any natural goodness in children. To
them discipline is form of police duty.
They first secure order" then they teach.
Duty obedience. the suppression of ones per-
sonal interests and impulses and "the majes-
~ of the law" are sacred terms i'm the vo-
cabularies of the autocratic teachers.
The mushy, anarchistic types are quite the
reverse i'm their views on all of these mat
ters. They have unlimited faith in the nat
ural goodness of children Self-expression
freedom In the unfolding Of personality pur-
suit of self-chosen enterprises. the conscious
ness of no law save that developing from
WITHIN are slogans OF tnoSe VINO would never
compel conformity in conduct.
OF course. neither extreme is illustrated
fully In the practice of very many teachers
but leanlngs are strong toward one tendency
or the other In either case the children are
victims of the overemphasis Of a point of
view having something sound to support t..
When the combination of the valid elements
of both points OF view is sensibly made we
have a conception altogether more sane and
helpful than either form which may prop
erly be called democratic. BY such comb
nation there is neither harmful suppression
Of personality nor a riotous yielding to un-
directed impulses
The New York herald., 1921-01-09
Regulations Which
Being Many Evils

the extreme of removing all helpful guidance.
Left free from guidance children tend to
become selfish, extensively aggressive over
bearing and disrespectful of law and institu-
tions. Autocratic discipline plants the seeds
which will grow into Bolshevsm when sup
preston is removed but the anarchistic alb
sence of directive guidance In school is itself
Boshevsm. The extremes of both points of
view are the enemies of civilized society.
Children genuinely respect that helpful
guidance and control which is determined by
the best ways OF getting results with fair
ness to all In enterprises that are worth
doing. In q democracy independent self
direction with clear appreciation of ones
duties and obligations as well as ones rights
and privileges is the ideal goal for conduct.
This may equally well be the goal for con-
duct in school.
Even under the teacher who develops the
finest school spirit and whose general prac-
tices most ideal, individual difficulties
will occasionally arise. Some children are
below average normal ability and some arc
above. Children of both types are some
times sources of difficulty, particularly those
of an aggressive nature. The general work
of a class is either too difficult or too easy
and the energies of such children tend to
follow interests which are different from
6hose which appeal to the majority of the
class. Flexibility i'm the work is a remedy
for some. but either specialized work or re-
moval to classes whose work is better fitted
to their interests and needs is necessary
for the more extreme cases. Special classes
have gone far to remove the difficulties Gre
ated by such pupils in many school systems
Trouble also arises with some children as a
result of home conditions. Some children
come from homes where there is no parental
control whatever, thoroughly spoiled"
These resent any control and frequently re-
auire severe measures for offences against
the group until they are made conscious and
thoughtful of the results of their own be-
havior. Others are from homes in which
discipline is autocratic and dictatorial. These
arc at first unable 70 appreciate the limits OF
WISE democratic freedom. They, too, have
to be shown firmly and effectively where the
further use Of self-expression becomes an
infringement upon tho rights and freedom Of
others
The New York herald., 1921-01-09

phase Of the contest. The voters Of the
coming generation should certainly be
trained in expressing their views on eco
nomic and civic subjects with the utmost
clearness What is most needed in this
country is accurate thought OH the economic
questions Of the day. The incentive OF
prizes ought to stimulate many students
who desire to make their opinions felt"
In accordance with the terms of the COM
petition, as announced in the official circular
issued with the approval of DR.. William L..
Ettinger, Superintendent of Schools, by DR..
John L. Tildsley, the superintendent as
signed to high schools the judges consider
not only originality of thought and treat
ment but also the vigor and clarity Of the
English composition. Students who concen-
trate on these lines are likely to produce
papers which may prove notable contribu-
tions to the political writings of the times.
In the early days Of the Republic some of
the keenest minds, such Alexander Ham
iton, wrote documents which have con-
tinued to be models Of economic and politi-
cal literature.
At Work in Vacation Time
Gathering Data for Essays
The first announcement of the contest,
which was made just before the schools were
dismissed for the Christmas holidays, caused
many of the boys and girls to do consid-
cradle research reading in their vacation
The New York herald., 1921-01-09
.rsonaI Defects often Cause Trouble.
Harning Individual and School

Whenever an individual child enters upon
conduct harmful to himself and the interests
of the school the teacher should try TO find
the causes which account for such conduct
Causes for minor delnquencies may often be
found in physical defects or Embellishments
of work. Children with defective vision or
hearing, with adenoids or infected tonsils, or
of under weight from malnutrition may not
be able to bear the same degree of responsi-
bilty and self-direction as those who are IN
perfectly normal health. Mental tests VIII
also sometimes show conditions OF fatigue or
The New York herald., 1921-01-09

girls who are not sufficiently docile to con-
form are driven out of school as fast as they
can get out under such regime
The apparent high morale of classes ard
schools under such teachers is most deceiv-
ing and the situation most dangerous. The
only way that explosions are prevented is by
the fact that the teachers are constantly
Sitting on the lid" Remove the teacher
from a room for five minutes and pande-
monum breaks loose. No self-control is IN
evidence.
IN contrast to the hard. inhumane autoc-
racy in discipline there are now many teach
els whose classes are practically without law.
either restrictive or directive. These teach
ers hold that the desires. impulses and in
terests of children are natural and good. "
is wrong to suppress these tendencies 81
action No child can reach the full develop
ment of which he is capable If his self
expression is not provided for in the most
free and unhampered way. Just give ch'l-
dren the opportunity to express themselves
fully and naturally and they will somehow
work It all out among themselves and come
out in the end good citizens, even If 1t does
mean confusion and rudeness and selfshness
and tire neglect of many valuable qualities
they grow up.
School Discipline as Anarchy
Overemphasizes Natural Impulses
Teachers Of this type are usually good
natured. easy going likable folk, quite bo-
hemian in general character and fine to get
along with--as long they are not required
to meet responsibilities with dehniteness ac-
curacy and promptness. Their children tend
also to develop these delightfully."- Bolshevis-
tic aualities-delightfu as long as definite
responsibilities are not involved As we
speak of the autocratic form OF discipline ns
hard we may readily dub this free for oil
type as soft 40 the former overemphasizes
the subordination of the individual to arti-
fetal repressive standards OF conduct i'm
posed from without, the latter overempha-
sizes the degree TO which the natural Inn
pulses and interests of children may be
wisely left TO express themselves unguided
and unrestricted
It would almost be better to close our
schools than to have them encourage or even
permit children TO lose all respect for each
other for the aged, for institutions and for
law The dangers Of anarchy are the great
est menace to the civilization Of our country
TO repudiate autocratic discipline only to fall
victims of anarchy In the schools would be
but "out Of the frying pan into the fire.
Under either plan children and society suffer
from the oyeremphasis of a partial point OF
view
There are teachers who achieve the sym
pathetic cooperative form of behavior mos
helpful for accomplishing the schools pur.
poses by mutual appreciation of me need o.
such behavior and mutual heiptulness "
maintaining &C. The children are guided by
directive law. in so far as they are conscious
The New York herald., 1921-01-09
Helpful Direction is Not TyrannicaI;
Children Respect Right Sort of Guidance

Instead of capitalizing the enthusiasms Of
children many teachers kill them. They
count all expression OF natural curiosity as
the outcropping Of innate badness to be
annihilated by any means necessary to make
the job complete. OF course a situation of
high tension develops A contest is on. The
teacher becomes an enemy to be annoyed in
every possible way She holds the pupils In
check only by eternal vigilance and unyield-
ing suppression.
Such measures not only fail to develop a
desirable self-control in school but they lead
to an abuse of freedom in the life outside o.
school. License always follows the removal
of n tyrannica form of discipline This is
Just as true Of schools as Of states.
To avoid the dangers OF autocratic dis
ciplne the radically minded have gone to
The New York herald., 1921-01-09
One Is for Boys Exclusively,
Another Is for Girls Only

There are schools in which only boys are
enrolled. as, for example, the we'll known
De Witt Clinton High School, on the upper
West Side of Manhattan, and there are sew
eral important high schools where only the
feminine students are admitted such as the
Washington Irving, situated at Irving place
and Sixteenth street.
In the Washington Irving, which is only
across the street from the house in which
the noted American writer for which it is
named spent many years of his life, there
is deep and lively interest in the contest
The students Of this school have by tradi-
ton taken up all forms of community civics
and politics. Many of the graduates of 1t
have reached important positions in the
world of business and scholarship. 1t was
at this school that some of the earlier ex
periments in inducting the minds of the
younger generation in the ways of govern
ment began.
The wadleigh High School, at Seventh
The New York herald., 1921-01-09
Announcement of The
New York Herald's
Prizes Just Before
Christmas Holidays
StirredMuch Interest
Among Members of
Graduating Classes

/o1EhC ol tO-HlOTIOWt tue DOyS
" girls of the high schools of the city
of New York who are in the gradu-
atfng classes, are busy these days preparing
rheir essays on the obligations of the citizen
for the contest which is being held under
the auspices of THE New YORK HERALD.
The prizes are: First, 800; second
$50, and third, $25.
AS announced last Sunday. the theme pro-
posed is one which challenges the younger
generation to CO asider the present aspect of
national affairs from every angle The
title Is:
I'm View of the Present Industrial Condi-
tions and Social Unrest, What Are the Obli-
cations Incumbent Upon the American Citi
zen?"
The statement in the form of question
gives the utmost range for the consideration
ever prepared to grapple with new situa-
tions and to propose remedies for ills of the
body polite.
The form of the inquiry follows closely
upon the courses in civics and economics
which have in the last year or so been in
troduced into the high schools of this city.
There are twenty-eight of these institutions
for the advanced students, widely scattered
over the five boroughs.
In the fourth year classes to which the
contest has been limited in order to get as
rnature an expression as possible, there are
approximately 1920 pupils. OF these about
half will be graduated on January 81 and
the remainder are to receive their diplomas
in June.