1863-1864 School Committee Report

Browse Search

V" 10 DISCIPLINE. We have not had many occasions to think particularly of this branch of school -training during the past year. In regard to two-thirds of the schools, no complaint either of severity or laxity has reached the Committee ; and from the rest, only so much (with one exception) as serves well to refresh our minds as to the never-ending difficulty of doing the right thing always in this respect. This part of the work taxes the teacher's powers more severely than all the rest; and, for perfect success, requires a combination of natural and acquired faculties seldom found. It is not success, in this respect, simply to secure good order in the schoolroom : but to do this by the use of the best means ; by moral strength producing in the pupils the right feeling in regard to it ; to infuse a temper of cheerful and intelli- gent submission to the principles of order and propriety, not only as far as to the door of the schoolroom, but to the outermost limits of the school, — this is one of the rarest as well as one of the most precious triumphs of the teacher's patience, wisdom, and skill. We desire to reduce the amount of corporal punishment of all kinds to the nar- rowest possible limits. We uphold a teacher in resorting to this, when all better means fail ; but the very need is sign of failure, in some measure, to govern well. No teacher should be satisfied to remain in that stage which necessitates the use of physical pain to keep children in order ; but, so long as this is the case, should feel that there is something yet to be gained. Better by far is the wise caution which prevents the kindling of the conflagra- tion, than the water which extinguishes it after it is raging. On the other hand, parents are bound to do their utmost to aid the teacher in this great work, by most seriously enjoining on their children a perfect and cheerful compli- 11 ance with all the laws of the school. A very little neglect on the part of parents, a very little natural but unwise pre- judice for their children, and against the teacher, is enough to redouble the difficulty of the teacher's work, and often to render it wholly unsuccessful. We do not want mere- ly to restrain the young from misconduct ; but, by all wise and good influences, to train them to the love and practice of every pure and honorable habit. In this work, the most prudent, forbearing, and kind co-operation of teachers, pa- rents, and Committee, will prove no more than the end in view requires, and is worth. That the young can be won by kindness, and controlled by gentle firmness, we have abundant evidence. TRUANCY. At the annual town -meeting, the attention of the citizens was called to the provisions of the State law requiring towns to make suitable rules and regulations for the prevention of truancy and related offences ; and a set, of by-laws was adopted, providing for the arrest and punish- ment of obstinate and habitual offenders in this respect. Hitherto there have been very few instances of a persistent habit of lawless absence from school; and we trust there may never be any necessity of bringing the terrors of the law to aid in preventing the violation of the proper rules of our schools as to unwarranted absence. Undoubtedly the chief reliance must be placed in the care and diligence of parents and teachers checking the first symptoms of a habit so surely fatal to the welfare of the young. THE COURSE OF STUDIES. No essential changes have been made in the course as published in the last Annual Report. In the Primary