Evening star., 1939-09-29
Cooperation
In School
Required
Type of Monitorial
Service No Child
Should Perform
BY ANGELO PATRI.

There is a kind of monitorial serv-
Ice which, in my opinion based on
much experience with school chill
dren and teachers, no pupil should
be asked. or permitted, to perform.
Molly's note explains what I mean.
Last year was monitor. 1t was
my duty to write down the names
of pupils who whispered. Should
write down the names of my best
friends? When I did last year they
were angry at me. If do not write
them down am quite honest? What
ought to do? This gave me a lot
of trouble last term. I want to do
what Is right. but I don't want to
lose my friends"
No child ought to be asked to
accept such responsibility as this.
In the first place it is not a childs
duty to maintain discipline in a
classroom. 1t is the teachers place.
No child should be placed in the
position of spy and informer and
that Is what this membership forces.
Why is whispering such a crime
in school? The answer is because
it indicates that the children are
not attending to their lessons. Let's
go a bit deeper. Why are they not
attending? Because they are not
interested. Why are they not in
terested? For one or more of a va
ried lot of reasons, all going back
to the simple fact that their work
is not properly adjusted to their
needs.
The needs of children are: Ac-
tivity, leadership, understanding A
teacher who understands children
will supply the other two. In the
old-fashioned school, pupils were
held like prisoners in punishment
cells. They had to sit, stand or
walk, according to rule, and the first
rule was silence. The next, equally
important-indeed there were no
rules of lesser Importance in those
days-was obedience. When obedi-
ence was demanded for these un-
natural ways Of living the strain on
the children was very severe and
often ended in rebellion. Luckily
that time has passed.
The school system, the supervisor,
the teacher, who insists upon ST.
lence, surrender of personal direc-
ton and initiative, is out of date
What schools and supervisors and
teachers are asking for now is CO.
operation from the older children,
not dependence. To the little chill
dren they offer leadership coupled
with well-planned programs that
interest the children. To all chill
dren activity is offered in the place
of inactivity. The doing school is
now set in the place Of the old sit
and Listen school. That does away
with the policeman monitor and re-
moves the reason for his presence
Children talk to each other about
the work in hand and are not driven
to seeking relief by whispering be-
hind their hands.
There is a new kind of monitor
He is the helpful person who tries
to help the teacher to get things
done easily, without waste of time
and effort. It is His duty to prevent
any necessity for policing. If he
has to resort to calling for help he
understands he has failed. His
monitorial experience is planned de-
liberately by the school heads, as q
course in social service. This Is Q
far cry from the older notion.
So my answer to the little gir
monitor is: No. Don't take the job
You don't belong in 1t. It does moi
belong to you. 1t doesn't belong
anywhere in todays school.