Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-08-06
Parents Relations to Schools. No. 10.

Obedience and fidelity are required Of
children in all their relations to the school,
no matter under what circumstances they
are placed. If all parents should take this
view Of the subject, and so cooperate aud
sustain their teachers, our public schools
would be vastly more efficient and useful
than they ever have been the spirit of in.
subordination which has manifested itself to
an alarming extent within few years past,
in our public schools, academies and col
leges, would soon be crushed out and our
children, as they come up to assume the re-
sponsibilites OF life, would become obedient
and loyal citizens, and faithful subjects un.
der the government Of God.
We little fealize how much the discipline
of the family and the school have to do in
forming the character and habits of the iu.
ture man and woman as they will appear
in their relations to the state, and under the
divine law. Mothers aud teachers, under
God, make them what they are, aud through
them determine the character and destiny Of
nations.
Again, parents should encourage their
teacher by manifesting real interest in
his efforts to benefit the school. Such SYM
patty and aid have their influence, not only
upon the teacher, but upon the school. Chill
dren are creatures of impulse. They are
greatly influenced by circumstances, and in
school matters by nothing more than by the
interest or apathy manifested by their
parents
1t must follow, therefore, that if parents
would see their schools prosper, and theil
children risisg from grade to grade in q
thorough and systematic course Of study
they must manifest deep interest and al
earnest enthusiasm in everything that per
tains to the school.
They do not expect success in any Other
enterprise without oversight and interest
The tea-party, the sewing-circle, the mission
airy association, which are organized in every
community for social and benevolent pur
poses, could not prosper without the earnes
attention Of the mothers and matrons who
are interested in them. No farmer woul'
entrust the training of his animals to exhibi
at county fair, or upon the race ground
without a personal supervision, and dee
interest manifested in every stage of pro
gross. The servants who have the drec
care of these animals are encouraged b,
words of approval and praise, and an abiding
sympathy in all the details Of the process
And can it be matter of less importanc
and of less interest to parents that their ow
children are under the process Of trainin
for the stage of life, and for Immortality
And can they afford to give up this wor
of education so entirely to others that bot
the teacher and the children lose the inspiI
ing influence OF an approving smile and a
encouraging word from them as they toll o
in their arduous work?
And there are specific duties which PAL
ents have to perform in these relations;
!. They should secure constancy an
punctuahty of attendance. Every INTEL
gent parent understands the Importance {
this suggestion. Children who do not Civ
their undivided time and attention to Ii
school suffer an irreparable loss of time, {
ability, and of interest The days, half day
and hours of absence and Hardness frequen
ly amount to weeks in terms and months
years. And this is not all the loss of abb
ity to study successfully results from II
loss Of time. PARENs.