Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1870-02-10
Attendance Upon school.

listers will show the former in liffer-
ence of parents still existing, and that
| when we come TO make our next an
nual report, we shall see, as before,
that little more than one-halt of those
entitled to attend the schools, have
received the total of six and a half
months schooling during the year.
We fear this miserable state of things
and yet venture to hope for happy
disappointment.
| Who needs to be told, that regular
and punctual attendance upon school
are all-potent requisites to success
full prosecution of study? Without
Regularity and runctuality, no pupil
need expect proficiency in the studies
he may pursue, neither need any par
ent be surprised that his child, with
such broken attendance, is partial, If
not a total failure as to scholarship.
And. though every person should as
sent to the statement just made, yet the
experience of every teacher, and the
record of every School Register, afford
irrefrangible evidence, that their assent
reaches no further than the tongue.
0 the carelessness and indifference of
parents.
Day after day, morning and alter
noon, tor weeks and months together,
the patience of teachers is tried to its
utmost stretch, by the dropping in OF
pupils for an hour or more after school
has opened, disturbing the exercises
and distracting the attention OF the
whole school present, and losing so
much Of their own time, as to make
their own attendance merely nominal,
and so far as their own mental im-
provement is concerned, purely mat
ter of form. Let it be admitted that
occasional tardiness may be necessary;
yet, in forty-nine cases out OF fifty, it
is totally inexcusabe, growing, as it
does, out of shameful laxuess of tam
lily discipline, by which children are
allowed, too often, to dispose of their
own time out Of school, ana loiter in
idleness around home, or visit places
OF public resort, hotels, stores and
| shops upon their own motion. Be-
sides, If not permitted to loiter, they
are often detained to work. Now.
no objection can be offered to child's
rendering service to his parents upon
their demand, yet, it is notorious that
those who avail themselves of the la
Dor OF boys and girls who should be in
school, gain only a few paltry pence,
while filching from them the time
which should be sacredly devoted to
fitting them for worthy discharge Of
the duties OF lite. Does not the petty
proceeds OF their labor thus obtained,
pay but poor interest? 1t IS impos-
sible that child thus hindered in his
attendance at school should have "a
hungering and thirsting" after knowl-
edge. He has no interest in the du
ties of the school, because he finds him
self constantly at discount in his
recitatious, and, whether he contesses
it or not, is inwardly ashamed of his
inferiority to other members OF the
same class. He is forced into the
back ground, and becomes a mere ci.
pher, not altogether unlike the ciphers
we use III arithmetic-us useful only to
give an increased value 10 the other
figures. 1t matters nothing whether
he is detained to work or suffered to
play, the result is the same.
Bad as absence and tardiness, from
any cause, are, that from idleness and
play is infinitely worst; because, while
the education is neglected, the manners
will be coarse, the voice rude and of
fenslve, the conduct abandoned and
the very mind and soul marred and
scared till it bears no resemblance to
its original unblemished state. Thus
it comes that pupil, habitually kept
out of school. is not only certain of be-
ing poor scholar, but may be in the
open way to the very worst that can
happen. The constant tendency is
downward, and unless family dicipline
shall take turn IN mnch more salu-
tary direction than at present, proph-
ct could not spy out, to certainty,
an honorable future for such a one.
II it is said that we oyerstate the
matter, we shall only commend to
parents and teachers an attentive con-
sideratiou of these evils, which weigh
SO heavily and grieyously against the
prosperity of the schools, and against
the moral and intellectual advance
ment of the children. The interest in
volved is one of such vast magnitude,
that when it is endangered YOU can
not well overstate the evils that may
follow, neither can parents and teach
ers be too watchtul in discharging the
responsibilities seyerally devolving up
on them.
Teachers are wanted i'll two or three