There are dangers, however.  What useful practice has not its dangers?  One of these is, that the teacher will allow these arrangements to take up too much time.  He must guard against this.  I have found from experience that fifteen minutes each day, with a school of 135, is enough.  This ought never to be exceeded.

Another danger is, that the boys will be so engaged in the duties of their offices as to neglect their studies.  This would be, and ought to be, fatal to the whole plan.  This danger may be avoided in the following manner.  State publicly that you will not appoint any to office who are not good scholars, always punctual, and always prepared; and when any boy who holds an office is going behindhand in his studies, say to him kindly, “You have not time to get your lessons, and I am afraid it is owing to the fact that you spend so much time in helping me.  Now if you wish to resign your office, so as to have more time for your lessons, you can.  In fact, I think you ought to do it.  You may try it for a day or two, and I will notice how you recite, and then we can decide.”

Such a communication will generally be found to have a powerful effect.  If it does not remedy the evil, the resignation must be insisted on.  A few decided cases of this kind will effectually remove the evil I am considering.

Another difficulty which is likely to attend the plan of allowing the pupils of a school to take some part in this way in the administration of it is that it may tend to make them insubordinate, so that they will, in many instances, submit with less good humor to such decisions as you may consider necessary.  I do not mean that this will be the case with all, but that there will be a few who will be ungenerous enough, if you allow them to decide sometimes what shall be done, to endeavor to make trouble, or at least to show symptoms of impatience and vexation because you do not allow them always to decide.

Sometimes this feeling may show itself by the discontented looks, or gestures, or even words with which some unwelcome regulation or order on the part of the teacher will be received.  Such a spirit should be immediately and decidedly checked whenever it appears.  It will not be difficult to check, and even entirely to remove it.  On one occasion when, after learning the wish of the scholars on some subject which had been brought before them, I decided contrary to it, there arose a murmur of discontent all over the room.  This was the more distinct, because I have always accustomed my pupils to answer questions asked, and to express their wishes and feelings on any subject I may present to them with great freedom.

I asked all those who had expressed their dissatisfaction to rise.

About one third of the scholars arose.

“Perhaps you understood that when I put the question to vote I meant to abide by your decision, and that, consequently, I ought not to have reversed it, as I did afterward?”