The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1884-12-13
Grand Total. los

AHcio "eie Il uayS Taught, ne
school being held on Thanksgiving
day. The whole number of days
taught 4. G. the product of the mum
Der of pupils enrolled, by the number
of school days in the month, is fol
the gins 226S and for the boys 1895,
total 1868.
Now taking our daily registers and
adding together the days actually
present of each pupil we have for the
girls 1897, boys 1868, total 3555.
Divide these sums by q and we have
our Average daily attendance, which
for the girls is 80 and for the boys
70, total 169, throwing aside frac-
tions. BY subtracting these from
the number enrolled, it is seen
hat the average daily absence
is for the girls Is and for the boys
16, total "a. Think of it patrons 81
pupils, one sirM of the entire enroll
ment absent every day, nearly II per
cent. Take another view of the case
One sixth of 81 is 81, which is to say
that if every pupil had been present
every day the school might have been
closed for 81 days last month and
the same per cent Of attendance
maintained. 1t is true that absen-
teeism is not general among the pu-
pills. A few chronic cases will pro-
duce marked effect upon the aver
age, and the larger number who are
regular, some Of them never missing,
are compelled to feel the effect of the
delinquencies of the few. The effect
of irregularity, bad as it is generally
recognized, is still worse than many
are apt TO consider it. Those pupils
who are habitually irregular can with
difficulty make any progress even if
they are extraordinarily bright, and
at length discouraged and disheart-
ened by repeated humiliations and
failures the dropy out altogether. l
have frequently known the bad effect
of single days absence to be notice
able for week or more, for not only
does the absentee lose the instruction
of that one day missed, but he is
greatly hindered in all his work until
by extra exertion he regains the level
of his class. Nor are the bad effects
confined to the absentee alone. In
his struggle to regain his lost foot
ing (although the habitual absentee
is not likely to be one of those who
struggle very much he is con-
tinual obstacle in the way of the
progress of his class and not until
he fully reinstates himself do these
bad results cease to he manifest.
But some one says "this large rate
of absence is not very complimentary
to the teachers in charge of our
school" Well perhaps in certain
sense it is not but our teachers are
not and cannot be responsible for it.
They have not the power to bring
pupils to school, l am sure that
nothing Is left nndone that could
render school work pleasant, and
have yet to hear of II single case of
irregular attendance from failure
in this respect. Of course it is
matter of qualification, and may say
pride with every true teacher, to pre-
sent good report in attendance, and
the reverse is just as true of a poor
report. But, Notwithstanding all this,
the unnecessary absence ought not to
be laid at the door of the teacher.
On general principles the average
teacher has enough to endure with
out that
At the close of each week report
is sent to the parents of each pupil
who has been tardy or absent from
any session of the school that week,
These reports are so arranged that
an absence of half a day can be re
ported and the day of the week and
The session of the day. These reports
are made out from the daily record.
Thus each parent can know the ex-
act time2and amount of the pupils
absence or hardness. The pupils
are required to return these reports
signed by the parent, and of course
when that is done it is presumed that
the absences are with the knowledge
and consent of the parent, unless re-
ported otherwise. In addition to
his written excuses are required in
Ill cases so that it is next to impos-