Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-02-15

EDITOR OF THE EVENING STAR The indif-
ference of fathers and mothers in Washington
to the education Of their children Il one Of the
other parts Of the country. II is fearful TO con-
slider the fact that one-half the children i'm this
District are without schools or any prospect of
education, and that the educational sentiment
Of a majority of the people is so low that such a
state oSaffairs can be quietly endured.
With the want of proper educational sent-
ment there is, no doubt, a corresponding def
cheney of interest in the subject of school dis
cipEne, and lack OF the necessary co-opera-
ton of parent with teacher in the government
OF children. All thinking persons must appre-
ciate the manifold difficulties under which the
teacher labors when deprived of this co-opera-
ton. But i'm order that this ard should he rem
dered available, the duty plainly rests with the
teacher to keep the parent informed definitely
a regards the conduct of the child.
New, Mr.. Editor, wish to arouse the large
number Of women and mothers who read the
EVENING STAR, to an active consideration Of
re-state the circumstances of a case which has
already been noticed i'm your columns, and
which was, in your issue Of the 18th inst, charac-
@eans Mbn who
identity under the name Of "Fourth District"
but who, from the general tone of the cOmmuni-
cation, may be fairly presumed to belong to the
"male persuasion"
A child has been twice suspended from school
for as he states it himself, Offense, without any
official notification having been made by the
teacher to the parent, as am informed, of the
nature Of the fault, as the law, 1 consider,
plainly requires, as set forth in the Rules and
Regulations of the Public Schools. Section 6s
provides as follows: "FOr violent or pointed OPP
position to authority in any particular instance
q teacher may suspend a pupil for the time be-
ing, and shall Immediately inform the parent
and the Sub-Bo ard.'
IN this case K Is understood or stated by the
parents that the child was suspended tor a
trivial oitense, and not for any opposition to au
thority whatever. The parents, As they say, as
yet, know nothing of the Offense except through
the child. although they have written to the
teacher for information regarding 1t. The father
is mechanic, who cannot spare the time to in
vestigate the case personally, and the mother
has not yet been able to find the time to do so,
although both take deep interest in the educa-
ton Of their children.
Nc mothers no have had the care and RESPONSE
bllity imposed upon them of securing for their
children admission 10 the public schools of this
city will doubt the statement that she spent
three weeks In the effort. One has to learn first
to whom to apply for permit, then where the
trustees live. then repeated calls are made
before they can be found at home, then after
the permits are granted, often weeks Of waiting
intervene before a vacancy occurs. This wait
ing OF Curse is not the fault Of the teachers
trustees, but is owing 10 the Inadequate number
OF schools. And now that the subject is attract
ing the attention OF Congress, and elaborate
speeches are being made on the " Promotion of
Education" let us hope that an appropriation
children in the Nations Capital the privilege,
nay, the right which the government owes them
OF a common school education.
L very much regret that the writer Of the ar
ucle referred to should have thought it neces-
sary to the accomplishment of his "business,'
to cast a slur upon the Christian character of
the mother OF the child whose case is under
discussion, whom know to be a most exem-
plary Christian, and devoted mother, and who
knew nothing Of the case having been brought
before the public vntil she saw 1t stated in THE
EVENING STAR, which she reads regularly. 1t
seems to me that this person who processes such
horror of cow-hiding, does not scrupie to lash
with his pen, in most random manner, to say
the least Without advocating the use
discipline, l win remind our critic that
inS Ser;asd Srn ior the use Of the rod
trans turn for light and guidance. Desiring to
cooperate with the teacher in the manage mcnt
of the boy, to the best of her ability, she re-
quested him to infiict corporal punish ment, pro
vided he could not be governed without; or, if
he preferred, to send the child home with a
statement OF his fault, and he would be dis
ciplined there, but not to turn him out of school
again. The question, as it seems to me, is not
whether the child is ga paragon of n bow" no
one doubts that he has been to blame, but
dren for trivial faults.
Schools are instituted by the community mi
sustained by the peoples taxes for the good Of
the community. The greatest injury which can
be inflicted upon it is to turn a bad and ungoy-
ernable child into the streets. Ii any are to lie
deprived of school education and training
Mr.. Editor, the child who cannot be governed
at school by judiciOus teacher Is fit only for
the House of Correction, and should not be
turned out on the streets, to confirm bad habits
until he becomes the enemy of society, as he is
now of the school. And allow me to say, with
all Difference to the opinion OF others, that the
teacher who cannot govern a school without
turning children into the street for trifiing
errors, should resign, and follow some less noble
occupation than that of training and cuItiyat-
ing the minds of ceildren, '.the noblest plants
In the garden of God" as the German philosO-
pher so beautifully terms them.
Accept my sincere thanks, Mr.. Editor. for the
privilege of expressing these few thoughts in
your widely-circulated Journal If they should
be the means Of arOusing more lively interest
in the public schools, especially among the
mothers of the school children, L shall feel that
they have not been, though SO hastily and i'm
perfectly expressed, altogether i'm vain.
JULIA ARCHIBALD HOLMES.
3S Delaware avenue, Feb. Is, 1870.
ROBERT REYBURN, NJ. D., of the Medical De-
partment Of Howard University, Will read an
m ma fo-n