Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-03-31
ABSENCES.

By reference to the above statement it
will be seen that the discrepancy between
the whole number of scholars and the
average attendance is quite wide, and it
will readily occur to all that cur schools
cannot be fully successful as long as this
state of things continue. The absences
are in the main occasioned by two causes.
The first, and, as I think, the main
cause, is the ill-health of many of the
children who attend our public schools.
All who have watched our scholars with
any care, cannot have failed to notice that
there are, especially among the Ameri-
can population, many frail children
children who lack that healthy physical
development belonging to healthy child
hood. This fact calls for the greatest
care on the part of both trustees and
teachers.
Trustees should see that the school
from defects that might aggravate the
evil, and that they are provided with such
maps, charts, and school apparatus, and
furniture, as are necessary to give the
teachers a chance to instruct their classes
orally, and from observation, instead of
oonfning them too closely to the text of
school books. The teachers in the primary
and secondary schools ought as soon as
possible to fit themselves so that they may
be able to interest and instruct these
children in measure by means of expe-
dients and resources of their own, recol-
lectng that the first ideas that the child
obtains of the elements of an education
are undoubtedly derived from observation.
In giving the first lessons this natural
process should be adopted by the teachers.
The eager interest with which child
will listen to the explanations of pic
ture, or the description of any natural OBJ
ject, by persons who can adapt their Ian
guage to the understanding of children,
is known to every intelligent mother Ii
teachers would adopt this idea and put it
in practice, in fitting themselves for their
avocation, and in their method of instruc-
ton, they would soon find their schools
were more easily kept in order; that their
scholars were making more thorough and
rapid Improvement, and that the frail
children were able to be much more regu.
lar in their attendance upon their schools
And in this connection / wish to sug.
gest that there lean be no doubt but what
system of gymnastics, if introduced and
properly conducted, would be both pleas
ant and beneficial to our schools. This
branch of education has been introduced
and is considered with much favor in
many parts of this country, and physical
education is receiving favor and care il
very many of our higher institutions O
/ learning. That there is need of thought
full attention to this subject, the number
of puny, narrow-chested children in oul
schools fully proves.
The second reason of absences is tina
1 there are few scholars in each depart
ment of the school and whose names ar,
enrolled upon the school register, who d.
not attend but small portion of tn,
time. The absence Of these scholars !;
not occasioned by sickness or i'll health
but they are permitted on the slightes
pretex to absent themselves and as a mat
ter Of course they received but little ben
eft froEn the school and are great hin
derance to its progress. The absence q
these scholars is in most cases known t.
their parents, and without their coonaro
ton the evil cannot be corrected. But
q few cases have come to my notice wher