The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1859-05-04
For the Lancaster Ledger.


attendance nj School" which is so well.
timed, and so appropriate TO our section Of
the country, that | feel constrained To re-
quest YOU 10 republish it. lrregularty in
attendance at School is an evil " hich cries
aloud for redress. There is, indeed, moth
ing. as the writer fifty remarks, so powerful
in rendering n youth Of fine parts stupid
and dull, and in destroying his fundness for
study, as absence from School one or two
days in every week or even in every month.
! There are few persons who :hink that
day, occasionally. lost from School, is pro-
dmctive of any harmful results and when
! they perceive the child beginning to flag,
becoming depressed, and showing decided
indifference TO his books, there is always at
hand some plausible reason WHICH clears
them, they would fain hupc.-lessons too
! loi g-too much cuntinrmcnt-tuo many
studies, or something Of a like character
whereas the true reason, in most cases, is
found below. and consists in this that
every recitation missed causes n gap in the
! thread of the DISCOURSE. which, when per-
/ severed in, gives the child but n confused
idea Of the whole subject m after, and can
only, as is observed, be remcded by a dou
| bic amount of labor, and that too when the
child has as much ~ he can do before for
/ the teacher who honestly performs his duty,
! will proScrrbc for each scholar nm amount
"f labor propurtj"ncd to his ability, suffi
cicTt 10 keep him employed all his time,
allowing n reasonable time for wholesome
recreation and exercise. The article speaks
for itself. Let every parent read it, and
consider it addressed, especially, to himself
and profit by the wisdom therein containrd
"Dnc of the most serious evils connected
! with our common school system arises
/ from The ihoughilcSsncSs ma negligence of
| parrut3 We NlIudc 10 the irregular autrn
dance of children at school The school
It turns Of Massachusetts show that thc uv
eragc Attendance ut schol ~ regularly en-
| rolled in the pnbIic scncnls il only about
SEVERITY five per cent Onc-fnurth ot the
| education which the children should receive
~ lost b their absence. One quarter Of
III" privileges so liberalv provided for all
! 10y th" public, are thrown awnv One qnar-
ter oi the SliTi,lSS -ui-cd last wear for
the support of schools was u-clcS-ly cy-
pended. Onlj small fraction "f the non.
atirndanc" can be regarded as unavuiIibl.
! All who ar" at ali familiar " ith our school,.
En"w that in the great g.u,i"rity of cases, It
! arises from Insufficient causes The evil
may be ascrib,d mainly to that parental
weakness which permits the chi d To rule,
and To that thoughtleSsuesS which rob, him
Of an inestImablc boon for the sake of a
little present gain or convenience There
ar" parents VII" hold up to the minds Of
their children the pr.rHcge of nhSrrcc from
school as re'eard for iitcity and obrdicncc
AT home
ait must be evident To any on.. on a
moments rrtlr".iou, ti.ut the effects of use
less aO'ence from school mu,t.L, very mis-.
ch'Niuus, no: only {" The irregular pupil. br,
To his " hole class. The link. That u,i,,
one day teachings Ia uGOrh,r's are surh
tha, the occasional absence of pupiI mn,
make wreck oi NJ! he night uI nrr,yis.
have icarncd during the term. But IN, .,iI
stops not with one pupil, more frequently n
Whole class and tie CcaCui'arc aiTrctrd The
class mast necessarily experience an inter
rupu"h III their course whenever a iurmbrr
- absent Those interruptions often spoil
at terms study 10y their frequency.
Coy Boutwell,, in one of his Schno! Re.
ports, nPtlv oOScrv :, That the child who
never enters the sohn", housr, is guiltIrss
ot any positive special wrong To thu. ,chooI
but The occasional presence, or the occasion.
al absence OF scholar, is an injury TO him
sci: ard to air hia associates. When a pu
pil misses a recitation, . wrong Is commit,
miticd Which can only bc rrmrdiea by the
Prrpetr"'"n "t another wrong. in good
school each pupil has aE AmCunt Of L:ilv
Z ll,t, ,a
and n lost lesson must be made M nv .,.
lra"rdinafy physical and mental labor
This of course, i- an evil. In most cns.s.
however, the neglect is Gyerl0oked. and the
pmPIi is retained in Inc class, daily LOSING
/. his interest in Whit he dues not understand,
while the other members aro kept back by
one whose neglect has been n common IN
jury
In some towns this evil has been felt so
severely that The extreme penalty of eypul.
sion has been rcsOTtci 10, and pupils VINO
are absent certain number of times nn
less detained ut home by sickness, or alb.
sent from town, f.: felt their sent, in ,h.
public schools Nor can we see any iniu..
tee in This rule. The irregular att. ndant
not only defeats the object Of the school so
rar ~ he is himself concerned, but h. in.
fnGges upon The rights of Others. II is
therefore just aud right that he should be
{ expelled, after proper warning and proba
ton Bot parents should not compel school
c"mmIIItes and teachers To apply so harsh
rrmedy. They cun easily core the evil
themselves. Let -tEen:. strive 70 create n
sentiment which shall lead The pupils uf The
nrighhVrhood and town To Ue constant and
Pnmciual IN attendance: let them strictly
p."hibIi oil unnecessary Ab,engs !. let them
n f.nf Fnl l.. mi. =
children, or ed their own convenience, in
= matter of 80 much personal, family and
public importance let th-n exercise for.
bear"nce and charity towards teachers and
committees, and never withdraw n child
from school Tor any but the most grave and
imperative reasons let parents rus fulfil
their duties To their children and to the
scnool. fnd the evil under consideration
wil cease" -*+