PLACING THE BOY

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 494, 6 January 1920, Page 3

PLACING THE BOY

(By "Headmaater"in "London Daifr Mail.") $ I have " placed " bundreda of hoys in aituationa suitable to their capaci ties—but bow to place my own son is a problem tbat baffles me. The trouble is, he does not show any particular aptitude or liking for any special thing; he is just an ordinary " good " boy. The fact is, he is too " good." I wish he had a little more epice of " devil " in him and then I know he would be more likely to he enterprising and to succeed i& business. The boys who give trouble at school generally do succeed. That is my experience They are not afraid to leave the beaten track. 1 bate the thought of putting my boy into a " safe" job. I would rather he went into a situation where he would have to fight his way. No. I would not like him to be come a schoolmaster like bis father —the job is too worrying for a conscientious man; and the struggle to become a " Head'' is so hard, even in the elementary schools, that the effort is not worth either the poor status or the remuneration it offers. The problem that my " good " son presents is the problem which confronts tens of thousands of parents in this country. Parents wish to do the very best they can for their children, and secretly hope that .their children will do better than they themselves have done—without the effort. That is the fallacy, that is the kind of fond parental reasoning; they are afraid to let their children struggle! But it is Btruggle which has brought out the best traits both in our captains of industry and in our national heroes; and parents who have done their best in , giving their children a good education and btart in life can do no more. They must leave the rest to the children. But to give the boy the start—to place him—that is the problem. Jt requires hard thinking. The start in life is everything. There must be no mistake about that. There is only one way to make that decision correctly: to regard your own son as somebody's else's as a si ranger, and sum him up truthfully! When I write a "character" for a boy, 1 ask myself the questions: — !. What has this boy done? What is the outstanding feature of his school career ? 2 What marked aptitude does he show?' * 3. What is he libe)yta£ become? 4. Wuat is he best suited for ? a commeicial house, a trade, or a profession ? As 1 ask these questions truthfully for other bovs, i» I must ask them truthfully for my "good" son ; abd nut of Lis apparent dead level of attainments I must find his natural predilection or bent, and "place" him accordingly After that, I must "let bim win his spurs." I have already done my best to teach him the gospel of "Work" and "Push"!