The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-05-07
COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE UPON THE
ii PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

We have long thought that there ought
to be law compelling indifferent parents
to send their children to school at least
twenty weeks in they Since we have
become more intimately acquainted with
the. workings: of the free schools our
opinion has been confirmed. Strange as
it may seem to the cultivated or partially
cultivated intellect, It's nevertheless true
that some people don't.suant their children
educated. This world is made up of all
sorts of people. On the one hand, we
hear man abusing the free school sys-
TEN, while on the other, one admires the
system per Sc and speaks hopefully of its
future developments. One pays twenty
dollars school tax and will not send bis
children to the public school, while his
neighbor who paid Fifty cents sends six
children five months, and grumbles be-
cause the school doesn't last twice /: as
long. When the free school closes,she
stops his whole. tribe. If you mention
the Importance of supplementing the
teachers salary and continuing the
school ten months, you touch very ten
der place in his heart This pocket), and
with a:shrlg of the!shoulders that means
great deal, he says: ~ pay my taxes
and that is all I'lldo:" Poor fellow1 he
paid fifty cents tax and sent six children
during the whole public school term, and
is ready to cuss if he imagines his ina
liehable rights are tampered with in any
way whatever. But, this is not the class
that we are after now. Not few chill.
dren in Anderson County are barred the
privilege Of attending school, not by any
natural barrier, but by an unnatural. in.
difference or dogged carelessness on the.
part of the parent. The State proposes
to give all her children the rudiments of
an education. Anything that is worth
undertaking is worth doing we'll. Since
she has undertaken to do this, it ought
to be done efectually, in. spite of the. in.
difsrerce or positive opposition of
parents In other words, school attend
ance ought to be compulsory. Let our
State follow the example Of New Jersey.
Her law requires all children between
five and twelve years of age to attend
school at least twenty weeks during the
year. Were that the law with US, we are
confident the average school attendance
in Anderson County would be much
larger. One would be surprised to know
how many children are out of school
during the session, and surprised at the
irregular attendance of those who pre-.
tend to go. The teacher has no way of
forcing attendance. Neither the School
Commissioner nor the Trustees can cor.
rect the evil. The Legislature can do it.
Let such steps be taken as are absolutely
necessary. The school officers will see
that the law is enforced. No child can
make much progress if iallowedito 60 to
school one day and stay at home the
next. Parents ought to know this. The
State knows it and ought to take steps to
correct IT, We have thought that much
of the poor work attributed to the public
school system is attributable to irregular
attendance. We have noticed that in
some schools the teacher has to teach a
new school nearly every day. In such
cases, the State is encouraging foolish.
ness and sanctioning farce. The School
Commissioner is tied, the Trustees are
tied, the teacher is tieG, and the patrons
are at liberty to send or not send just as
it suits their convenience oris agreeable
to their peculiar whims. Such state of
things ought not to be tolerated.