London Losing its bad Boys.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14211, 28 May 1910, Page 4 (Supplement)

London Losing its bad Boys.

SCHOOL IXFLVKXCE OX MANNERS. ""What has forty years of public elementary education Uono lor tins counm r'' was the, question raised in 1 the course ot an i mpury by Air R. | liiair. head ot the London County [ Council Ltlucatiou service, and answers from various sources are publisli- ' ej in a rcpoit recently issued. i Mr Bia.r. iutr, dncing the matter, says that it is a common accusation against the- "iioard school, ciuiuren" that their manners are bad. "J. do not K lieve that this is generally true," he says, aiid he produces a mass of corroborative evidence. | -Mr W. L. Claque, a district inspector, whose experience extends as far buck as ISrtl, says "the pupil has changed greatly for (he better." The manners over large tracts of London have distinctly improved, until it runs some danger of dutenoranng in an <,p. pos.it? direction. Tone was often too .hard if discipline hud to lie effective; now it occasionally runs the risk of becoming too soft. . . .We do not ' probaMy Uivn out hotter renders, Ir.'t■ter arithmeticians, better spellers, bot- ■ tor writers, hut in matters i'eriain'|iug io expression, observation, and t! gbt we Jiave made great pro- [ ° Mr \Y. A. Xieholls, a. headmaster ! wii'.i thirlv-uine vr-arv-' (service, savs . ! the child of to-day "is more intcl'ligopt. has a better vocabulary (though it is slill very scanty), greater correctness of speech, greater Hcojitivitv t!ian 1 th child of forty years ago. Children in the poorest quarters .salute their • teachers- by raising the cap. Gro-s . insubordination has almost, disanpear--1 (.'■.!. Beys and girls aie gentler in their . manners. Hoys, will still be bovs •'(thank Heaven), and there are occasional outbursts. The schools have had | the effect of t'-ruing a purer language j upen the children." "Wen; is not for its 40,1 schools, | London would he with a horde t of young savages." V'r 1".. Bolus |(■ f V. alniot street school, Bethnal ■ Green). There is more spns-> of fairness, a 'higher smise of honour, a keener per- ; crption of right end wrene:. and a ) greater suvciitlbility t> higher moi fives, he doekros.' "Youths have i learned to sh'ov a jvoper r snepf to - gb-ls became of their's-x. ■■■■-.] the itirU wlrl" retaining their natural "and ; ~-., Ae di'ii'"'ii''.;ir. e""- m-mo until'-:!, i tristful, -ad :-fV-,a, v T ,-],.„, r llr _ i reov'y. 'p - .re,, ,-,] r-MHi-. between - yountb •"id yini" gii-ls c-.-m to b-. i tboi-eo" 1 !y natural, u hele,ome, and * t correct."