Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1935-08-30
~
from the
Democrats Pen

Well, it won't be long now before
the old school house bell will ring
wait a minute, I'm going back too
far, amt I? School bells are not at
all modern you know. And, so far as
that is concerned, schools amt what
they used to be. Take the matter OF
discipline. Years ago, remember
distinctly the teachers displayed good
hefty switch or ferule, and the peda-
gogues were not afraid to use 'em-
can testify to that and I have a
sneaking idea you, can, too.
Nowadays, if a teacher inflicts
corporal punishment on one of those
nice little children, why, mamma and
pape have to know the reason why,
and pretty soon tell the. poor soul ne
or she isn't fit to stay in the land OF
the living, and when their child needs
correctin' they'll do the thumpin'. Just
as if they were always in the school
room and had an eye on the behavior
of their young hopefuls.
So, if the teacher wants to hold her
job, she'd better take it out in cussin',
and that in a very low tone. Better
not touch one Of those angelic cherubs
who make life so sweet for the peda-
gogue for one hundred and eighty
days, per year, more or less.
You know, I've a faint idea, next
Tuesday morning won't come any too
soon for some of these good souls who
own up to the parentage of some OF
the kids that would sprout wings, if
you'd let 'em. No, Sir, some of these
homes will be worth living in for six
hours per diem after the school house
doors are thrown open-no bell rung,
you understand. Poor mother is
worn to frazzle nearly, taking care
of two or three; then she sends 'em
thankfully off to another poor Great
ure who has thirty or forty to keep
from wriggling and twistsing, and
this poor soul has got to be saturated
with the milk of human kindness in
her management. Parents can cuff
and scold, but the teacher must deal
in honey and molasses, or hear from
headquarters. Amt it mess?
Then when examination time rolls
around some Of these hopefuls are 60
ing to find something else in their
craniums except, figures, history.
grammar, or philosophy. And when
what they have stored in their noggins
doesn't fit the questions asked by the
teacher, and little mark comes out
relegating the pupil to the same grade
for another year, why, it's prepos-
ferrous! The poor child hasn't beer
taught right. The teacher has failec
to furnish him with gray matter
If the cherub hasn't capacity, he
should have been given one. "My chile
is just as smart as anybody else's anc
should have passed" Any of vol
teachers ever heard anything like
that? Did you ever come across hun
dreds of parents who know better, how
to conduct a school than those trained
for the purpose? Wonder what 6
farmer, for instance, would think il
one of these teachers should go out
to his place and tell him how his horse
should be hitched to a plow. Now
I'm not talking about one of these
agricultural experts who can tell yol
all about it-and then some. No. Sir
I'm referring to one of the public
school sort, because these get whole
lot of advice from many kinds of par
ents.
How-some-ever, it's not all as blue
as this; if it were, some of the teacher:
would have to go on Relief or else te
Cambridge. No Sir, there are many
real good tots and many very nice
agreeable parents. Some have learned
what cooperation means and are help
full. Some have real constructive
ideas, and build rather than tear down
Some visit school rooms, get first
hand knowledge and know whereof
they speak. And, generally, such a:
these, speak less frequently than those
who get all information they have
from the mouths of their dear little
ones. There is no doubt parents have
a right to know just what their chill
dren are getting; but, be sure you dc
know, before you set up howl. &c
into a class room some Of these days
and see for yourself just how much
your child is trying. Then have il
out with him, rather than with the
teacher.
might say some more about this
matter but I've gotten down to the
bottom, nearly, of the column so must