Year: 1872

FREEZING THE CHILDREN.


The Board Of Education, at meeting on
Tuesday night, resented as false the statements
OF the officers Of the Humane Society concern
ing the practice Of keeping children outside Of
the school buildings during excessively cold
weather. The Board substantially declared the
statement, that such thing ever happened, to
be false. It seems to be the settled doctrine Of
the Board of Education that it's officers, teachers,
and subordinates can do no wrong, and Of course
never do wrong. Consequently, whenever q
complaint is made, tho Board, instead Of ad-
dressing itself to measures to prevent such bar
barity as is mentioned in this case, resolve that
the barbarity never took place, could not
take place, and the persons making the
complaint are falsiders and blackguards.
families in this city, of the fact
that children attending the public schools ere
locked out, and kept out until the last moment
Tor opening schools, which fact is confirmed by
fr2sen toes. and fingers, ard ears, and heavy
colds, amounts to nothing in the case. Com
plants against mismenagement in the public
schools ere to be crushed out. No child dare COM
plain, and no parent can appeal to the Board Of
Education without meeting the prompt declara-
ton that the charge Of misconduct is q fa]sehood.
The child that ventures to complain is thence
forward looked upon as dangerous person. His
complaint is eilenced without redress, and, if he
ventures to continue at that school, he must do
so ct the cost of being known as the boy who
complained Of his teacher. Under these circum-
stances, having practically rendered CON-
plaint an cfenca Of the b1ackest
hue, aud to be punished accordingly, the
Board and Superintendent boastinsly refer to the
absence OF complaints es Al evidence Of in-
fallibility in tie entire school department.


Despite the resolutions md deuials of the
Bosrd Of Education, It is notorious fact that
the exclusion Of tho children from the school
buildings before school hours in Indictment
weather has been the rule, and not the excep-
ton; and the fact that this Is go, is
even more disgraceful to the Board Of
Education than it is to tho janitors, or
Principals, who are but the hired servants Of
the Board. There is hardly person wl,o has
ever passed BY one Of the large school buildings
of cold, rainy, or snowy morning, before
school hours who has not seen several hundred
little creatures huddled together, shivering End
freezing in the cold wind OF driving rain, wait
ing until the bell announced the statutory time
for opening tho school. 20 humane man
would expose his horses, COWS, or sheep to the
extent that these little children have been ex-
posed in thess school yards. Wo are stating
facts that arc notorious, and hare been Witnessed
dry after day in Chicago, not this season alone,
but in previous Seasons. It is perfectly useless
for the Board Of Education to acquit themselves
OF responsibility for this freezing Of children by
dcnials OF facts that notorious, or by excuses
that are frivolous. Instead Of denying the fact,
why do they not mako a peremptory order, that
all school buildings shall, from the LIST Of No
vcnber until the 18th of March in each year, bo
opened at half past s o'clock to tho chi1drea7
Such rule would prevent the possibility OF these
children suffering from cold; it would prevent
thousands Of cases OF malignant colds, with their
consequences; it would, moreover, be q conces-
sion to humanity, Of which Board Of Education
need not be ashamed, and it would settle the
question now in dispute for all time to come. II
the Board OF Education really want to prevent
child-freezing, let them declare if they have not
already done go, that the school doors shall be
open one-half hour before school call, and thus
render it impossible that any Of these
children should suffer. The adoption of
a peremptory rule like that would be
the best answer to the complaints
Of the Humane Society. That Society, though
perhaps stepping outside of their legal province
in this matter, have drawn attention to an un-
mitigated wrong, and can afford to treat the
censures Of the Board Of Education with the
same indifference that they do those OF persons
detected in cruelty to dumb animals.