HOME LESSONS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1059, 4 February 1913, Page 2

HOME LESSONS.

Home lessons for school children has been a bone of contention in nearly every educational district, and the custom is being abandoned. Specialists almost unanimously confirm the views of the anti-home lesson party that such study is excessive and harmful rather than healthy, f aud in the main does not assist the young stjjdeat striving for honours. Djs-

cussing wbat evening study does for the body, an authority points out that when the body has been quiet in deep sleep for several hours, then the temperature is lowest; usually this occurs between the hours of 3 and 6 a.tn. When the body awakes, the normal fatigue of the previous day has, or should, have, disappeared. Movement brings heat production, and vitality goes on rising until noon, uhen a drop takes place, and until that time the mind is most alert and the muscles most capable of doing strenuous toil. Then there is another rise, which goes on usually till about 6 p.m., and from then on it is a fight with fatigue. Now the relation to night study is clear. The young, plastic body urgently needs sound, restful sleep to recoup it from the brain and physical activity of the day. What brings sound sleep ? The proper food, properly digested, and then a short rest or play. But, it the child is to undertake hard study, the result is activity of the brain, which causes congestion. This congestion brings a rush of blood to the head, which should be engaged in the digestion of the food, but instead of this it has been diverted, with the result that the food is lying inert in the stomach or the intestines. Fermentation follows, and sleep, when it does come, is for hours shallow and easily disturbed, and has a sluggish awakening, which means a heavyheaded scholar next day. So much for the medical view. An associate superintendent of the Board of Education of the three largest cities in the United Stales tried the experiment of prohibiting all home work, or even the taking home of text books between the first and fifth forms inclusive, and in spite of opposition on the part of some parents, a careful register failed to find any falling off in the general standard of progression. The same experiment was tried with excellent results in another very important school, the children being encouraged to read interesting books upon the subject which formed the lessons. The result was famous, and the teacher in question now advises parents to apply to the Education Board for a reform action which will do away for ever with a system which makes a child do just that “overtime work" for which trades unions demand # a time and a half pay to make up for its strain upon the general health.