The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1853-08-18

Teachers, Officers and Parents to consider
whether they can do any thing that lies !
within their respective spheres of action to
promote the prosperity of The school; sndi
either of the parties thatI have named
should discover any Improvement mat might
be introduced by the appropriate action OF
either fthe other parties, the Improvement
should be respectfully suggested. 1t is to
make a suggestion Of this kind that l now
address you,
| once taught a youug-men's schootln
which there was to some extent the usual
variety in regard to regularity oil attendance.
OF those wha were entirely regular, a part
were in the habit Of attendin9aduring the
summer ses sion, and OF spending the rest OF
the year in teaching. Others we're with me
during the winter and were engaged during
the summer in farming or some other m
ployment. A third class Of the regular at
pendants continued with me throughout the
wear. -.
The remainder of my pupils attended Just
as they could be spared from the service OF
their parents. They would oe present one
day, week or month and absent the next.
Now the young men who attended regular,
" for ore term of six months usual y learned
moro in that time than the irregular attend
ants ever learned in any period however pro-
tracted, though the aggregate attendance
might amount to years. These different re-
suits may be thus accounted tor: ...
The young men who attended regularly
for several months ut u time were by the
very circumstance Of their regularity en-
abled to concentrate their minds upon their
studies, while those who were irregular had
their thoughts too much distracted by other
cares to FIX them upon their books: The
former experienced an increasing interest,
while the latter were not present long e.
nough at a time to begin to acquire a icnd-
ness for literary and scientific pursuits
The achievements OF some. of the former, tor
the time spent, have seldom, ifever been
surpassed, and will ever be to me subjects
of pleasurable and proud recollection. The
latter accomplished about as much as could
have been expected, and no more.
/ might say something in regard to my
more recent experience; but forbear.
II we wish our children to learn we must
cndeavor to cultivate in them a love of
!, learning and avoid every thing calculated to
produce Indifference. But the parent who
sends his child %irregularly to school, takes
, the sure5t way in the world to prevent the
development oil this love Of learning, and
, to make a Ounce of his child.
J The following are some of the further
evils springing from irregular attendance.
4 LIST. Irregularity begets irregularity. II
! ono child is permitted, by way Of indulgence
r to stay at home, other children in the school
r will solicit from their parents similar indul-
t gences.
rental authority the child Is habitualIy tru-
: ant, the example begets truancy in others.
. Sd. If the child is kept away to aid in do
d nestle, or other duties, there are perhap;
a other children who would rather be thus EN-
n ployed than attend school; and the circum.
e stance that any of their mates are frequent
II ly absent on this, or on any other account
inspires them with n desire to be absent al
{ so.
t 4th. The Indifference of u few irregula.
scholars affects by the cjntagien of sympa
thy the regular attendants, and thus the ar
e dor and interest Of the whole school are di
minished.
5th. The irregular attendants hang a
n clogs on the classes, and retard their prog
ress. One half or more of the time Of a re
citation is frequently spent in explaining Il
g. pupils who have been absent, the topics o
a missed lessons; and thus the regular pupil
are defrauded of their due proportion Of tn,
teachers attention.
9Th. IL all the members ola class are ir
el regular the necessary result is sometime
- the dissolution of the class. For instance
y the mathematical sciences are Of such a ma
ut turc that the principles Of any particular les
c, son cannot be understood without u clea
d, understanding of the principles of all tn
ia H.. .,-~,, - 1In ta.t I..I ,.-,i
Let n student, therefore, miss one singl
recitation in algebra or geometry, he .mu;
. on his return to school either get u Goubl
en- lesson, or fall behind his class. Ii he ha
N. been absent for two or three days, there
ny no alternative, except either to have hi
III drop the study, or to hear him recite by him
,st self. Ii the latter expcdient is adopted, tn
of whole school is cheated out of whatevC
al. time the teacher dcvotes to this pupil.
of A second pupil may by absence, drop be
no hind the FIRST who has lost his place, and III
Of teacher may thus be obliged to hear thre
~ recitations instead OF one. And thus til
iic process may go on till the class is broke
IN, into as many fragments as there were oIis
ai inal members. Suppose this to be u geon
' N etry class Of twelve members. Now a G,
we ometry recitation, even Of u single pup
luu cannot Oe u'SpuLCueu III ltsS ln0n nllt U
on hour. 1t would therefore require six hour
us or one entire school-day, to hear the ella.
are singly. Or suppose that the teacher adpp
os' the plan of keeping the class together no
u" outstanding the irregularity of the mer
No. bers, the ideas acquired are so confused al
imperfect that it Is no uncommon thing tn
a class after having spent several years
i studying a branch Of science that shou
A. have been mustered in a single year, kno
little or nothing Of the subject to which til,
M. have been attending.
7lh. Sending irregularly to school is b
lisl economy in regard to the application Of t
funds which sustain the school. Fin
TX, given time and with n given expenditure
n,o money twice as much instruction cou
h,I have been communicated to a certain uul
nina Der of pupils, in case their attendance h
,ho been regular, us it has been possible to co
municate in consequence Of their irreguli
:, ity, it is evident that one half Of the mon
has been wasted. II would not be hard
co find schools in which more than this prop
w ton of the funds are in this manner thro'
away.
Parents, yon cannot send your cllildr
y ~ irregularly to school and limit the injury
" your own children. In so doing you CHI,
. both yourselves and your neighbors
Wv Of your respective portions Of the comm
| fund; and you retard the progress, and wa
~ U" ypnpS of tho nrncinua time of your neii