The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1864-11-26

people, after spending SO much as they have
in a school building, have so little interest
in the education of their children? Is it
possible that our people are so thoughtless
as to suppose their children will make any
progress in knowledge whether they are
regular at school or not ? Such course
is unjust to the teacher, cruelty unjust TO
the children Under such circumstances,
the teacher can awaken no interest. and the
school becomes a failure-a total failure :
and the teacher cannot help it. Among the
very fret conditions of good school are
promptness and punctuality, and without
them the teacher might as well close the
school first as last. Half Of the scholars
that are present to day were absent yeeter-
day, and part of them the day before. They
enter the school room knowing nothing
about the lessons of the day, nor do they
care to know. They distract the attention
of the other members of the school, and
the teacher in trying to keep them along in
the class, keeps the others back that wish
to go on. In fact that class-and large
class it seems to be-is nothing but a nui-
sance to the school. Such learn little or
nothing themselves, and prevent others from
advancing as rapidly as they otherwise
would If you cannot send the whole term,
be sure that he attends regularly so long as
he does-then give room to some one else.
Surprising each pupil received five dollars
a day Tor attendance. l apprehend that we
should not be troubled with this Irregular
ty. But what is gold compared with good
education If thoEe whose names are en-
rolled as members of tie school do not at
tend, they should at once be stricken Off,
aud the doors thrown open IL others that
are anxious to learn. The troubl., is not
peculiar to our community, but it is cou, :
mon throughout the country, and every
friend Of common schools should do what
he can to correct it. So long as it prevails,
so long we must have poor schools, and no
wisdom on the part of the teacher will suf-
fee to prevent it. The Chicago school in
1856 reported thirty-three per cent. absen-
ces. This was too great to be endured, and
the Board of Education adopted the follow
Ing rule. which at once led to very great
improvement ''Any scholar who shall be
absent six half days, in four consecutive
weeks, without an excuse from parent or
guardian, given either in person or by writ
ten note, satisfying the teacher that the ab-
sences were caused by his own sickness, or
by sickness in the family, shall forfeit his
seat in the school, and the teacher shall
forthwith notify the parent and superinten-
dent that the pupil is suspended. No pu-
pill thus suspended shall be restored till
he has given satisfactory assurance of pune
Cuality in the future, and obtained permission
to return" At the present time, the Chi
cago schools are second to none in the
country, and they have been brought to
their present state CT excellence only by in-
Producing thorough system of drill and
discipline. The circumstances under which
our schools are placed render it no more
difficult to introduce a thorough system and
method than in Chicago, though not iden-
teal in all their parts. Every one knows
that our schools are not what they ought to
be, and that there is a sad waste Of our en-
ergies. We want system, so as to husband
our limited resources aud make the most of
lem. G. G. NJ