The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-08
BEGINNING THE SCHOOL YEAR.

BEGINNING THE SCHOOL YEAR.
The public schools of this city reopen on
Monday next. Thisis a branch of the public
service that should receive the unreserved sup
telligence is too common in this day and age
of the world to warrant argument on the i'm
portance and necessity of education. Its adj
vantages are apparent; its necessity to the
safety and well-being of society has long been
admitted. Few, if any, would deliberately
oppose popular education. 1t is only
through apathy that harm may come.
The parent who listlessly neglects to
make sure the education of his
offspring, is guilty of the crime of neglect
The State makes education possible and
insists that the privileges offered shall be
improved. The right of the State to do this
is generally conceded. 1t is simply meas
ure for self-protection. In this day of edu
cational enlightenment it is a marvel that
any should fail to utilize every possible
chance to acquire acknowledgement only
enough to qualify the possessor to make his
way among his FELLOWSHIP eat, drink and
debut to enjoy more than physical pleas
ures or the qualification of animal instincts.
The educated man is, as a rule, the better
citizen. More independent of others, he is
worth more to himself and to society at
large. His emancipation from the slavery of
ignorance into the freedom OF self-reliant
manhood enhances his value to the state
and makes him an ally 10 the cause of popu-
lar enlightenment. Our common-school
system has now reached grade of excellence
and adaptation to the wants of the people
that there is no sufficient excuse for failure
to secure the foundation of a magnificent
superstructure of intellectual culture. Free
to ALL with the expense reduced to a mini
num- the schools of America are prepared
to educate all the people from richest to
poorest.
With the opening of the new school-year
it is the urgent duty of parents and all hav-
ing charge of youth to see that they are en-
abled promptly to enter upon the prescribed
work of the year. The boy or girl who is
enrolled on Monday next will have the ad-
vantage of those who are kept out until
Tuesday while over those delayed week or
month the advantage will be very great
The pupil who enters school after the classes
haye got good grip on the textbooks and
have been disciplined once more to study
Systematically, fits nowhere and is dis
appointed and discouraged. The harm
done him may never be made
good, while the prestige he would gain by
entering with the rest at the beginning would
follow him through the year The average child
is not able to go back and bring up arrearages.
If he attempts 1t, it is almost always sure to
result in confusion of ideas that can not be
untangled to be made to fit in the neat
mosaic to which the preliminary lessons
rightly belong. Realizing this disadvantage,
the child is too often discouraged and un-
willing and unable to persevere. This is but
natural, and the possibility of such
a misfortune should be avoided.
1dISHtS dIe dpb w ldli from duOIuer IetSOu-
the apathy or antipathy of their children
for study. Frequently these feelings are al
lowed to secure immunity from the duty of
going to school, much to the harm of the
child so INDUCED. 1t is serious mistake to
allow the immature judgment of children in
this important matter to prevail over that of
older persons. 1t is not to be expected that
children can understand the Importance of
education, nor is it strange that many of
them rebel at first at the idea of being
partially deprived of their wonted freedom.
little frmness on Monday next,
tempered by judicious encouragement, will
be of value all the year through, and not
only through this year, but it may be that
the good inf uence will extend throughout
lifetime. On the other hand, the danger
of indecision and failure to urge upon the
child the necessity of starting with the fore
most in the race may do harm that can
never be repaired. 1t is to be hoped there
fore, that every available child shall be in
school on Monday next fully equipped for
the work that has been planned for its
benefit.
SOME months ago Messrs. Harper & Brothers,
publishers, offered "a reward OF s., 600 to the
young American artist who should produce the