Year: 1872

NEW SYSTEM OF SCHooL GOVERN
MENT.-Below we give an extract from
the article of Bernard Marks, Principal
Of Lincoln Grammar School, San Fran
cisco, in regard to the practical workings
of the new system of School Government,
which was referred to by Mr.. Ashbrook,
in communication to the JOURNAL, two
weeks since:


In practice it works thus we contin-
ue our system of checks and credits in de-
pertinent as heretofore. Probably more
than generation will pass away before
the average of teaching skill will be suffi-
ciently high to dispense with it. But
whenever pupil has been guilty of a
long series of annoyances, and all posi-
| BILE appeals and admonitions have been
tried in vain or when pupil has been
guilty of pointed defiance to authority,
direct disobedience, insolence, dsre-
spectful demeanor, or of any conduct
which, under the former regime, would
have been deemed sufficient cause to con-
denim him to have his hands beaten with
rattan in brief, whenever a pupil
manifests q disposition which is plainly
in conflict with the purpose for which a
school is organized, he is required to re-
main after school. After all other duties
are fully discharged, he is called to the
teachers desk, and very full record is
made, in book devoted to the purpose,
of the disposition he has manifested, the
offences he has committed, the length of
ued, and such other items and remarks
as would set forth clearly to stranger
the characteristics of the culprit. This
book is kept ledger fashion insofar as to
devote whole page to one boy. This
record is read to him, and he is dismissed,
after being told that it is made prepara-
tory to taking legal measures for his eX-
pulsion from school. OF course this for
NAL, semi-egal transaction affords the
teacher an unusually solemn and effective
opportunity to make still another appeal
to his discretion, if not to his feelings. If
it come to the worst, and he renew his
evil course next day, next week, or next
month, another record is made, and his
parents are called upon by the teacher
with the record. Here is where the pres
sure comes. Instead of n grave oilense
or n long course of petty annoyances, he
has the trouble brought to his home. 1t
confronts him after school, it bothers him
at the supper table, troubles him all the
evening, reappears at breakfast, takes
from his comfort Saturdays, Sundays,
and vacations, and costs him the most
priced of his home privileges. 1t is sur
prising how many exceedingly trouble
some cases are entirely cured at this stage.
But let us suppose a given case to be only
temporarily cured. This visit to the
parents and the resulting promises are
duly recorded on the same page. In
order to make out very strong case,
after several more records are made the
parents are visited again and another
effort made to retain him at school. If
he still prove unmanageable he is formal
ly suspended-no expelled from school.
If his parents have notyet put forth their
full power, the trouble they will now have
to get him restored for further trial will
be likely to urge them to their best
endeavors. The boy may be accepted
and tried again, in which case his suspen
sion and further trial recorded /; but this
is the last. If he still prove incorrigible,
he is finally expelled. The disposition to
be made of boys thus finally expelled is a
question whose importance depends upon
their number. The probabilities are that
not ten boys will have to be expelled from
this school but even if there should be
twenty, will it not be far preferable to
make some special provision for them
than to again resort to the debasing,
brutalizing custom of beating ?"