Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-02-29
School Law OF Indiana.
ARTICLE No. 10

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There is no question but patrons of schools
have heavy responsibilities resting upon them
IN reference to the efficiency of country
schools. In the first place, they should in
variably attend all meetings pertaining to the
selection OF site for school house, the re-
moval OF school house, or the selection of
teacher. When full and fair vote is given.
the minority should willingly acquiesce in the
decision Of the majority for disturbance in
scnool district, is more fatal to the best in
terests of the school than anything else.
1 find that in many school districts a teach
er Is selected regardless ofqualifcations. If he
or she, as the case may be, happens to be IA
vorite Ii the district, those interested win
nearly all sign petition to the examiner to
license such person to teach their school. l
have frequently, under such circumstances,
contrary to my better judgment, issued a six
months license
doubt very much whether an examiner
should not lay all such petitions on the table,
when the applicant fails to answer the requi-
site number of questions in each branch.
purposed in this article to speak more
particularly in reference to the duties of those
having children to send to school after it conf
mences.
1t Is not uncommon for a school to have
less than half dozen visitors during the en-
tire term. Parents are generally very much
at fault in this particular There are very
many good reasons why they should visit
their schools. In the first place it is very en-
couraging to teachers to have parents fire.
quently visit their schools. 1t has the effect
to cause the teacher to do the very best he
can to train his school to show off to the best
advantage. 1t is the duty of parents when
they see anything wrong in school or in the
government, to make such suggestions, pri-
vately, to the teacher as the case seems to de-
mand, and should any of the visitors De able
to talk to the school and give it a word Of en-
couragement, it always has good effect, both
on teachers and pupils. Whenever school has
proved to be a failure, in nine cases out of
ten, it could have been made a success by
parents visiting the school and learning where
the difficulty was, and suggesting the RENE
dy, instead Of remaining at home, and gather
AIS 1ii oAlOll III reference 10 the
troubles in school from the children.
have known parents to take their children
from school, for the most trivial supposed
causes; the child probably had been kept in
at recess for some offense, which would have
been punished, ten years ago, with rod.
The parent, without making any further in
.aulry, would deprive his child of the benefits
at'would derive from gong to school the bal
.ance OF the term. This way of doing business
rs all wrong and results in positive injury to
those who have been taken from school.
Should teacher prove 10 be a failure, pa
rents would ascertain that fact much more
readily by frequently visiting their school,
than they would by listening to their child
rem. When II is ascertained, beyond doubt
that the teacher, from any cause is incompe-
tent, school meeting should be called at
once, and if the Teacher dues not resign
charge, should be preferred against him and
sent to the trustee, who is required to APP
point time when he will investigate the
charges, after giving the parties notice. To
children it is serious matter for a school to
be failure, let the cause be what it may.
If the district select a reasonably good
teacher, and the larger pupils and the parents
cooperate with the teacher and USE their in
huence to make the school a success, there
would be no such thing as failure
Hardness is a great drawback to the
efficiency of schools. 1t seems that parents
wlllkeep their children out of school without
any good reason. Some area little late in the
morning; sometimes lose half day and some
tunes TWO or or three days. Children can
learn but little by attending school in this
way, and teachers are censured many times.
when they are not to blame. Pupils should
not be absent single day from school unless
it could not be avoided. 1t costs parents no
more to send their children to school than TO
keep them at home, and if they have the prop
er training at home they will be anxious to 90
to school, and be good children after they get
there. never saw good child at home
one who was obedient to parents,-who was
disobedient at school.
would be glad to see law enacted which
would compel those having children of school
age under their care, to send them to school
under certain regulations, for given number
of years. sach law, as matter of course,
would meet with great deal of opposition at
first, but we viii have to reconcile ourselves
toit,-for it is only question of time. Sooner
or later, parents will have to pay fine, I'm
less they have good excuse, for keeping their
children from school.
Having said about all that l intended at the
commencement of these articles, 1 will con-
clude the series next week, by few remarks
on the subject of summer schools.
t. MCDONALD, Examiner.
The little boys in Knox show their
heathenish raising, by swearing like old