Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1883-06-20

from Mr. CrOwell 90 the Parents II
Pupils Ina the Public school.
Permit me to say q few words TO you in
regard to your relation TO the schools.
There are certain hindrances in the way
Of the progress Of the schools that you. and
you alone, are able to remove. 1t might be
SAID that they are the dead weights and
drag chains OF the schools, or, rather, the
twin evils, related to and mutually derived
from each other. These, stated in general
terms, are, first, irregular attendance. and,
second, lack OF interest on the part Of pu-
Pills in their school work. No matter how
energetic and successful a pupil may be,
II he begin to BIO irregular in his attendance,
staying out now a day and then q day, he
will soon lose his interest in his books,
fall behind his class, become discouraged
and finally drop into the awkward squad
of billiards. On the other hand, the pupil
OF the second class does all his school
work in a careless, p%erfunctory amer.
He makes every fimsy pretext for remain
ing out OF school, and is generally INDUCED
by his fond parents; so he joins the awk-
ward squad permanently and quits school
willingly with no education. These are
facts which the experience Of every prac-
tical teacher will confirm. To him the
success Of an irregular would be as great
a matter OF surprise as the failure Of the
regular pupil.
What, then, is the duty Of the parent ?
Is 1t not to send his children regularly and
punctually to school every day, and not to
justify their absence with the pitiful ex-
cuses generally rendered? Unless, indeed,
IN 1aapn 10 r1ou az hol tr ohnok hsr1a md
to herd with street gamins are more i'm
portant than to learn to read, to write and
to spell.
Although the former are items in the
education OF q boy that should by no
means be overlooked. They should have
q place in the curriculum Of puerile &C.
quirements, and that place should be after
and never before the school work. II pa
rents would adopt this heroic treatment
and religiously enforce regular attendance
at school from the very first to the last day
OF the year they would have little occasion
to complain Of the ineficiency Of their
teachers or the dizziness Of their children.
Try it, parents, and my word for it you
will reap an abundant harvest-some for
ty, some sixty and some an hundred fold.
That I have not exaggerated the evils Of
irregular attendance will appear from the
fact that almost every State and large city
in the United States, and in the most en-
lightened parts of Europe, have passed laws
making it a penal offense. The last cen
sus discloses the fact that q vast number of
native-born Americans can neither read
nor write. Now, in 3 country where the
most ample means are made for the edu-
cation of every child, and where the means
of knowledge are as free as the vital air of
heaven, to what possible cause or causes
can be ascribed this general state of ignor-
ance, except to those aforesaid
Parents, every year you voluntarily i'm
pose on yourselves onerous taxes to sup
port the public schools. and you do this
because you believe that a good education
is the best, and perhaps the only, legacy
you can bequeath your children; but if
you would pay less money and give more
Of your valuable time to the training OF
your children, much more good would be
accomplished. for this is a duty you can
no. shirk, or ALLEVIATE, or relegate to any
third person by any power OF attorney.
You may employ teachers, but you must
advise and assist them, and follow up your
children, and see that they do their work
faithfully and attend regularly.
The careless manner in which many pa
rents allow their children to fritter away
the days Of their pupilage is wholly mex.
plicable. Every trivial matter is allowed
to take precedence OF the s~chool-business,
and so the most valuable birth right II
squandered away for a mere mess OF pot
tage. @. II. CRowELL.