From holiday by beach, gi and pool, Shanghailanders hay poured back this week. Among them have been men and women for whom Monday next means a. return to. the delightful, exacting, task of teaching' the young generation to fit itself for the economic struggle of the future. That is perhaps an unsatisfyingly prosaic description fof the duties of the teaching profession. Nor does it do Justice to the eagerness of Young Shanghai for the restora-jon of the routine of the form room and playground. One the ingenuities of which the human mind is capable is that whereby teachers manage to give pupils a clear berth in, the fholidays—unless, of course, there be some special arrangement including a, kind of "vacation curriculum." It is fitting that this separation should be as. complete as possible. On_holiday schoolmasters and schoolmistresses earnestly desire to become merged in the, general run of the population. They are released from the "conditions which in term-time demand that, for most of the day, they live under the closest observation of sharp young eyes and are. regarded as the ever-ready solvers of any problem which may present itself to their proteges. Their obligations are, no doubt, most attractive. Their work is Jabsorbingly interesting and important. Nothing is so truly stimulating than the company of young and ever-expanding minds. For the teaching profession none are suitable who cannot find pleasure in their work. Yet, as the days go by, the strain of close association with vigorous, fand persistent adolescence tends to become oppressive. The arrival of the breaking-up of the school, even accompanied though it may be by the necessity correct: examination paper prepare reports on the publ work, is therefore welcome. It. holds out promise of a refreshment of mind and body.
So often holidays are looked solely in the sense of the relief which they are supposed afford to the boys or girls of the community that their function lof renewing the teachers' vitality is "forgotten or disregarded. Seldom do. the pupils really deserve holidays. The modern sehool—rightly, no doubt-—lays much stress on variety of sub-ect, It endeavours to make its pupils enjoy themselves. On kames it may tend to be heavily dogmatic, but otherwise the l-oliday prescribed cannot be said to: derive its sanction from the overworked condition of the taught. Some, indeed, maintain that holidays really are intended to inflict a little necessary dis cipline on unruly parents. By the rigours of.the short periods during which they have to satisfy the curiosity of inquiring infant minds, to listen to the racket of healthy young animals from morn till eve and to learn how strong a resistance can be, put up by youth to the placid direction of the regular household routine, they may dimly appreciate the trials of the profession which #0. nobly takes from their hands the job of training their offspring's: mind, Now that the present summer holidays have near end there must be many a parent, fully competent to sympathise with the stout band of men and women who have been religious-acquiring strength vacation to grapple problems which will begin to be Unfolded in various institutions from Monday next. And, tu the course of the next few weeks no can be so great and. 80 eas that which households in Shanghai will ex: perience when once more the schools have begun to assert their amiable autocracy over the too effervescent section of the commu Shanghai's schoolmasters and schoolmistresses have been fully engaged in the last few months in the healthful occupation of* brushing away the cobwebs from their brains, testing their physique in swimming, walking, n:0untaineering and other forms of exercise. No doubt they have fise been careful. to include in their holiday time-table judicious yeading. For theirs is one of the professions in which it is necessary always to keep touch with current developments. will be hoped that they have not dragged the time-table too forcibly into their holiday scheme, Much yood will prob-[ably have accrued to them if they have been permitted to break routine, to be unpunctual, to follow the whim of the moment rather than the direction of what is supposed to be the correct hod. They will return al! the more refreshed and, therefore, all the more capable of bringing to the classroom the zest and brightness indispensable to, successful teaching. Few schoolmasters and xchoolmistresses nowadays are Vlind to this need. They know that, if th have to stand on pedestals term. time, it is exceedingly beneficial that they should abandon that habit in the holidays. The idea that a loss of dignity may be permitted to ped on. vacation absurd. It helps to refurbi humanity and to ease the an often irksome, rectitude, While therefore it is hoped that the boys and girls of Shanghai have had jolly holidays and have managed to be reasonably well-behaved in the process, it is even more fervently hoped that their long-suffering teachers have had a perfectly gorgeous time in freedom from the inhibitions of their ordinary lot. So both parties will. meet, on Monday on level terms. They will be sincerely glad fo greet each other and not altogether unhappy because they have mutually to apply a disetp-Hinary restraint which will give piquant, pleasure to memories episodes when pedestals were forgotten on the one side and full advantage was taken of the comparatively efficient contro! of parenthood on the other.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.