Evening star., 1938-01-20
Intelligent
Growth of
Children
Birthdays Are Not
Deciding Factor
In This Matter.
By ANGELO PATRI-

IN THE education Of children there
are two rights to be considered
that Of the child and that Of society.
Society is right in demanding that
1t be protected from the ignorance,
waste and crime that are the result
OF unframed, uneducated children.
Right In demanding that each gen.
Grafton be so educated that it will
carry the wave of progress forward
along a wide front. Right in protect
ing the health and strength Of youth
and so directing it that it shall enter
maturity in full power Of body and
mind. All these rights society claims,
and rightly so.
Children have rights In themselves.
They are entitled to happy. healthy
childhood. lived in good surround
ings, which means good houses, plenty
OF sunshine and fresh air. plenty Of
play space and time for play, healthy
happy parents. They are entitled to
good schools. They are definitely
entitled to the sort Of education for
which they are fitted, individually.
Everybody agrees. The laws are
framed accordingly. That all chill
dren must go to school is the Ameri-
can ideal. Most Of them do. More
and more the laws are framed to
lengthen the period of childhood, and
Of schooling. That pleases me. I am
for q sound education for every child.
I am also for the type of education
that suits the individual child. I
don't see as much chance for CO.
operation on this vital point as there
will have to be If the rights Of society
and the rights Of its children are to
be granted.
I mean that, although we nearly
all agree that children are not to
work for their living, and that they
are to 60 to school TO be fitted for
q useful maturity, we are not agreed
upon the type Of education the chill
dren are to receive, and there lies
the crux Of this vexed matter.
Children are individuals. Schools
are administered and taught for the
mass. That will not work. Take
this example: A boy of IS has
reached q height of feet II; he
weighs 100 pounds; he has reached
the sixth grade level and cannot get
by; he wants to go to work. The
law won't let him, and I agree with
that law. But-society which made
the law to protect this child against
ignorance. crime and waste, makes
no provision for his education beyond
the little bench, screwed fast to the
floor, on which he must sit for two
periods q day, one Of two hours, one
Of three, listening to words he does
not understand, trying to do what
he will not be able to do.
Think about that. How would YOU,
q grown person, like to sit in that
bench listening to that teacher and
getting failure day after day? What
would you do?
That child who Is forced to sit In
school under q course that has no
meaning for him will rebel against
the school, against his home and
against society. I want to see some.
thing done for that boy and for that
girl whose needs are not those Of
the mass of children their age. Birth.
days do not decide mental and
physical growth. They must be &C.
companied by worthy experiences,
and 1t Is worthy school experiences
that I am asking for in these cases.
In making laws to safeguard society's
children and society through its chill
dren. remember the children.