Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1861-03-07
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Tor the Eluoajioual Column.
E VILS CT IRREGULAR ATTEN.
DANCE GF EUPIlS Gr SCHOOL.


Onward has ever been the watchword
Of our I'l5lic Scto1l ,Sy<tens. In its be-
ginning, 1t was in many respects imperfect
but It has been constantly growing and
steadily advancing toward perfection Es-
PccialIy has this been the case within the
last few years. OF The many causes com
bined to produce this result, We do not pro-
pose to inquire at present. But for what
purpose has such 4 system been built up
Certainly not without an object, To- it has
occupied the attention OF many Of our
greatest statesmen, and the most cultivated
minds IN the country. Ambition and the
love . sain seem tc be the prime movers
in, an the sole end Of many schemes of
public enterprise. Bu. who will affirm Of
this sysLem that il has leen conceived or
fostcreQ by spirit Of ayaEice This does
Ayt appear at FIRST sight, and facts are want
ing to prove it. Nor does it present le-
gltlmate field for that ambition which is the
God Of 80 many-oEly for the ambition of
doing good-Whch is at AL times praise.
worthy. The only answer then to the que5-
tion i, that it was founded and has been
nurture1 T.ta SD much care for the sole
purpose Of educating ;ha Oaopte 1t has
been happily SAID by another, Our Com
mon Schools give the keys of knowledge to
the masses
But do the people obtain all the advan-
toGos they m;eht from this system Few,
if any will presume 10 say 50. And why
not Are Directors unlaithful? Are
Teachers incompetent Or are books IN
adequate to the requirements Of the age
While sc admit that In some particular IN
stances much biane my lie attached to any
or a., OF these, yet We tbink the tru9 soia-
ton Of the question is to be found in the
irregular at,udQHce OF tie childrea on
the means Of instruction.
We ventur. to say that this is more DO
tent than all other influences combined, in
checking the progress OF the scholar, in
dampening the aldor Of the teachers, and
sipating the good influence OF the school
room. In short, it Is drag upon the
whole system which can be remedied only
by securing the constant and prompt atten-
dance Of all the pupils of each school
Let us notice the statistics presented by
the State uperintendent, and see the extent
of the eril of which we complain. The
total attendance of scholars ia the State,
exclusive OF Philadelphia, for the year
1859, was 575,251, while the average at
tendance was but 5,689, or only So per
cent Of the whole The cost Of Public
Schools for the same time was over g, ,000,-
600, of which 35 per cent, or the round
sum of 100000 was lost by the irregular
ity of the pupils But to bring the case
nearer home, the Public Schools of our
own county cost, in the year 1859, S13,-
869.37, of which the nett sum of 1879.
80 was wasted just for want of regularity
of attendance. We might add that like
proportion Of the cost of the buildings,
which was 81, ,37224, has also been squan-
dered, for school houses must of course be
with view to the aceommoda-
ton Of the largest number.
But, says one, { is it after all such a
great evil? What is the difference if d
scholar loses a day once in while? He
can make it up by extra effort, or by study