THE SCHOOL BELL.

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 49, 7 October 1884, Page 3

THE SCHOOL BELL.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR. Sib, — Insignificant as the heading: of my letter may appear, it has, on closer investigation, more than common importance. The school bell is the first of the many bells which sounds and marks off the most important epochs in the life of man, and at a time when the individual character is as soft as wax and in the progress of bein« moulded for future usefulness, or uselessness. For that reason it should be the means of recall ins; to our memory the period when the first lessons of discipline and of being " up to time" were instilled in our minds. If, on the other hand, it does not assist the child in this important training, but on th"c contrary allows it to glide into carelessness as regards time, it may do incalculable harm and may cling to it for life. 1 therefore maintain that the school bell itself ought to be "up to time," and not allowed to be rung at any moment but the right one. I cannot say as much for our school bell. It has for some time been a matter for complaint, not only to myself but many others, that irregularity has existed as regards the ringing of the bell. In order to assist my assertions with facts, I took down the time for one week and found the differences for the fire days to vary from fire to fifteen minutes. This is anything but right. If my information is correct, the cause lays in the fact that almost any boy is allowed to ring the bell, and that it is often done sportively bofore the time in order to harass those children who go home for their dinners. I would advise the school master to look into this matter and introduce the system used in most other schools, namely — to appoint one of the assistant male teachers, or in lieu thereof one of the oldest and most trustworthy b"jß, and make him responsible for ringing the bell at the correct time according to the school clock, which ought to be regulated by telegraph tijne. Iv this manner the children and their parents would know that they had a certainty to depend on and the parents would be able to assist the school in teaching the children one of the most useful lessons in life — that of being "up to time." There are one or two more matters in cornection with our school which I think necessary tc point out, but which I will leave for a future occasion as I have already usurped too much of your valuable space. —I am &c., Pabent.