Evening star., 1939-03-26
1ruancy and Failure
In Studies Seen as
ChiId's50S
Dr.. Ewerhurdt Warns
Thot Signal Indicates
Need Of Understanding


Thot Signal Indicates
Need Of Understanding
This is one of a series of weekly
articles discussing dctiuities Of
the Community Chest agencies.
This article is based on the fourth
OF sir lectures to be giuen by ar
erecutiDe OF Chest agency on
"A Mental Hygienist Looks at
Lite"
School teachers and parents
should learn that truancy, misbe-
havior and failure in school work
are distress signals" in children
who need understanding more than
punishment, according to DR.. Paul
j, Ewerhardt, executive of the
Washington Institute of Mental
Hygiene, Community Chest
agency.
DR.. Ewerhardt's talk was the
fourth in series of six which he is
delivering before nurses of the Dis
trict Health Department and the
Instructive Visiting Nurse Society.
His talks so far have covered early
infancy and preschool ages in chill
dren from the standpoint of men,
tai hygienist and later will treat
with older children and young
adults.
In entering school the child en-
barks upon new and much more
complex experience, he said In his
lecture yesterday.
Meets Demand for Conformity.
Until that time the child has
been under the protective influence
OF his home, his activities for the
most part have been concerned with
free play and he has not yet felt the
impact of the pressures from the
outside world, which from now on
Will increase in number and COM
plexity. He experiences reality in a
very vital way. He cannot do as he
wishes but must conform to stand
ards OF conduct and personal effort
that have been set up by society.
school is not a place where he
merely learns the A, B, C's It is
also school in which he is mould
ed in ways that are extremely i'm
portant. He is aided in establishing
good work habits, in accepting OBJ
Jectlve authority demands and be-
coming an integral part of a social
group. In such a process the in
dividual becomes relatively sub
merged in favor of the greater power
and prestige of the group. This is
what is implied in good citizenship"
Good citizenship, DR.. Ewerhardt
brought out, is not taught by word
OF mouth; it emerges out of the
manifold experiences of a child as
ne grows up and becomes more able.
with assistance, to fit into the world
as ne finds it. In this important
aspect OF growth and development
the school plays an extremely vital
part.
mo longer is the school exclus-
lively preoccupied with the three
RS, he said. 1T has taken over a
considerable share of the respon-
slbiity of turning out youths bet
ter prepared to meet the complexi-
ties of modern life.
Departures Signal Distress.
"Flexibility in treatment is a bv-
word In modern pedagogy. There
are so many variations among
children that no hard and fast
educational rules can be laid down.
Failure to observe this leads to less
than satisfactory consequences. Mis-
behavior, failure in school work,
truancy, etc, are self-evident sig
nails that all is not going we'll.
Teachers and parents have an
obligation to understand the mean
Ing OF these signals. Aggressive or
challenging behavior is annoying
and dlsruptive. Mere suppression
OF 1t is not, by and large, sufficient.
An understanding of what is in
volved in it, and constructive ways
OF meeting it are just as essential" ="
Mental hygienists believe that in
many instances the entirely obedi-
ent and submissive child-the So
called good child"-may be in a
much more unhealthy situation
than the child who reveals his in
ltlatlve and his desire to come to
grips with life, according to DR..
Ewerhardt.
Failure to make expected pro-
gress in subjects is based upon
many factors that have to be under
stood, he made clear.
Some children are bright, others
average, still others less we'll en-
dowed. Naturally this can be easily
recognized by standard tests skill
1ully applied. Proper school place.
ment should remedy the situation.
Blame Shifts to School.
"On the other hand, it may be
q source of pain to parents to ac-
cept the inevitability that their
children are not potential profess
sors. Their inability to eccept this
TACT so often leads them to blame
the school, and in this state of
affairs the child comes out second
best.
IF under those circumstances he
begins to show symptoms of mis-
behavior or nervousness it should
not be difficult to understand the
Importance of the parent being
helped to accept the basis for the
trouble"
The relationship between home
and school is exceedingly important,
said DIR. Ewerhardt, but often these
two areas cannot adequately come
together. Out of this situation has
developed the so-called visiting
teacher. She is a woman having the
broad point of education, having
perhaps been a teacher herself;
and who in addition is an expert
enced social worker. It is the visit
ing teacher who provides the means
Of bringing home and school to-
gether, to the end that healthy,