OVERWORK AT SCHOOL

Evening Star, Issue 17968, 15 May 1922, Page 5

OVERWORK AT SCHOOL

THB GUILD’S GIFT OF INATTENTION

The Paris Academy of Medicine has come t-o a decision which is of great interest to all parents of school children. Having investigated tho cjuesl ion of Iho number of hours devoted each day to intellectual work, tho academy passed a resolution that these should not exceed eight for children under 14 yearn, but the academy went farther than this. According to the 'British Medical Jounml,’ actually blessed “ inattention ” as a gift of Nature whereby children might escape from a regime less healthy than (hat of prisoners. “Happily," si>ys (his journal, “the child has a wonderful gift of inattention which allows him to shako himself free, from all intellectual harness. Ho is believed to bo in the class, but lie is playing truant. His imagination laughs at regulations which impose tho double torture of silence, amt immobility. Inhibition is his intellectual defence."^ I no deliberations of (ho Academy of Medicine on this subject arc said to he, aftracling tho attention of (lie whole, of franco, and the demand for more recreation is growing. In Great Britain (comments the, medical corrc.-pomlcnt of "['lie Times’) things may bo better to some extent, yet most dnclnrs now think (hat school children are overworked. This applies especially to tho '‘clever ' child, (hat unfortunate being who mins to possess a special power of pawing rvaminalioiiK. and so bringing credit on Ins or her school. Bir Frederick Molt, in Ins recent lectures, has incidciitnily called at, iention to the, harm winch may bo done by exploiting the unstable brilliance of pro. rncious children. But even children who nro quite normal arc frequently compelled lo carry on sustained intellectual efforts from nn early hour in tho morning until late at’ night—if home lessons or “preparation" aro taken into consideration. Mo grown man dreams of overworking himself in this fashion. Tho very thought, indeed, would bo intolerable to him.

In a furlher reference to this subject tho medical correspondent recalls that, recent research work, both in America and Great Britain, has shown the paramount importance of sleep as a brain restorer or recharger. But the over-active, orer-Workcd brain does not got enough sleep. Its hours of sleep are eaten into by Into work end early rising to go to school, and tho sleep it docs get is often troubled owing to work having been carried on until “ bed time.” As ono doctor put it, "the best thing that can happen to a mortem boy is to bo stupid—incorrigibly stupid—for then he will be left alone and allowed to giow up normally. If ho shows a spark of cleverness ho will bo driven liko a horse."

This is an exaggeration, of course; yet It is tho opinion of competent observers that bright boys are too often victimised to make an honors sheet, and that stupid boys, who escape this (rouble, frequently achieve a much greater degree of success in after life. The probability would seem to bo that normal children's brains are not fit to take in the kind of mental food usually supplied to them. Tho bright boys are, perhaps, not quite normal. Tims tho ao-cftl!od) stupid fdioolboy :is really tho "father of iho man,” Long after his "brilliant” classmate has been '.'worked 1 out” ho maintains his intellectual vigor. In that sense modern boys may well pray for tho gift of stupidity.