Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-05-25
an absurd Rule.

trary rule of late adopted by our school mag
mates is working contrary to their expecta-
tions, and should be at once Withdrawn or
countermanded. For instance. if parent
or guardian needs or desires his son or daugh-
ter at home for any purpose whatever, three
consecutive days, or six half days, the child
must, before it can re-enter his or her school,
in company with the parent, see the super
intendent, and give satisfactory reasons for
keeping home said child; and il to him the
reasons are plausible, then permit is CIV
en-. And secondly, after re-entering the
school should said parent OF guardian desire
to retain the child again half day before
the same month expires, then another visit
and confession as before has to be made, and
so on ad infnatum. Now all this would be.
perhaps very well if one could see the super
intendent at once; but first, the hours
upon which he is to be seen are between
$50 and $50 A. M. and $3.50 and 4:3O P. M.
For professional or business man these
hours are oftentimes the most valuable of
the day, and should prior engagements be
made another day is lost in which the child
could have been at school but must be kept
away because the superintendent has not
been consulted. Or if the parent is me-
chanic, toiling hard to keep soul and body
together, and the loss of half or one whole
day has to be made in order to replace his
child in school, he undoubtedly would defer
that, arbitrary visit until some leisure OF
rainy day, and his child be kept from the
very object which is intended in the minds
of the board, but thwarted in their actions.
It is exceedingly desirable that strict all
wholesome rules should be made and en-
forced, yet, let reason dictate, and let sue.
rules be enacted as will meet the ends de-
sired without seriously infiicting upon the
good sense and valuable time of our
schools contributors. Cannot some little
Judgment be invested in the good sense and
wisdom of the principals of the several
schools, allowing them to accept all reasona-
bic excuses when properly given III writing
for absence, ETC., and with that discretionary
power to reject such excuses as are unsatis-
factory, by referring to the superintendent
for his approval or disapproyal, as the case
may warrant? By SO doing the same inter
| ests will be maintained and much annoyance
| saved. Will the school board look this mat
ter squarely in the light of reason and see
and acknowledge its business, by adopting
| such rules as will meet their wants, and
| not cause such sacrifice of time
| of the parent and extra loss of
school time by the unofending child. No
one is more jealous of good and wholesome
! discipline in common school management,
and in cases of truant playing it is well to
be exacting, yet it is not just Oh right that
these same exacting rules should be SO ap-
piled as to work an injury to the great ma
jority of the patrons of our schools, men
who take lively interest in the welfare and
success of all educational enterprises, and
are the first to uphold and indorse new and
PROTECTIVE measures when consistent with
good sense and propriety. Therefore, it is
highly desirable that the board of managers
should with caution adopt measures detri-
mental to this class of mems interests.
ss VERITAs.