Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1885-04-18
EDUCATIONAL.
WHY PARENTS ARE NOT INTERESTED.


The complaint comes up from
many sources that parents are not
interested in the education of their
children and, consequently, there is
great irregularity of attendance and
poor schools, especially in the coun-
try districts.
1t is hardly conceivable that a ju-
dicions parent should be Indifferent
about the schooling Of his child, and
wherever this Indifference is marked
there must be something radically
wrong either in parents or teacher.
As teachers, we are apt to throw
all the blame on the shoulders ofthe
parents, but it is possible we are
hasty in our judgment. Parents
cheerfully vote tax upon themselves
to build schOolhouses and keep up
schools. They certainly do not pay
these taxes for fun. Men do not,
generally, give something for moth
ing, nor vote tax upon themselves
without expecting some return. So
far us raising money to keep up a
school is con ncerned, they show them
selves exceedingly interested. Now
may not much of this apparent in
difference be charged to the teacher?
Is he not the main factor IN the mat
ter? Has he not failed to interest
the child? Is it the fact that real
thorough live teachers have much to
complain of in the way ofindlference
on the part of parents?
| have no doubt that every school
district has some parents much more
interested than others in the educa-
ton of their children. ( have no
doubt that some do not put a justes
innate upon education, and that a
very small matter will make them
quite indifferent to the school. |
can see many reasons tor this anpar-
ent Indifference.
The well-to-do people are general
ly more concerned about the educa-
ton of their children than those
pressed with poverty, and rich dis
tricts than poor ones. The rich far
mer can dispense with the services of
his son more readily than the poor
one, and in case of inclement wealth
er or bad roads he has facilities for
getting his child to school that his
poorer neighbor has not. But it is
a fact beyond dispute, that when We
are deeply interested in anything We
find some way to overcome many OPP
posing circumstances. Could all the
children in district be thoroughly
aroused and made to have a strong
liking for their school, many obsta-
cles would be overcome at once, AID
means would be had for getting them
to school. When the child strongly
desires a thing the parent is often
induced to yield to the child's wish
and, when not injurious, crafty it.
Then to reach the Indifferent parent
we must interest his child.
Nobody but the live teacher can do
this. In a community where there
IS much poverty and much ignorance,
very small hindrances will keep the
children from school. A poor teach
er can efecLually keep this class at
home.
Inacommunitv thoroughly imbued
with an educational spirit, pupils will
be kept in school even under a very
Indifferent teacher, but let this same
teacher go go into another commu-
nifty notso impresSedan he will have
empty benches.
All the shortcomings of the
school room are largely to be charged
to the teacher. He is the main
wheel in the system, and when he is
inadequate, the machine works bad
ly.
Had we compulsory system of ed
ucation even poor teachers might
have crowded benches, but it does
not follow that full heads would be
there. The pure waters of intellec-
tual inspiration could not flow from
such a source, and the parched fac
ulties would still wIther.
Is it surprising that parents should
be indifferent, and children not in
terested, when neither profit nor
ploasura accruaS2
No child can have any adequate
idea Of education, and no unlettered
parent can sound its depths. There
must be inspiration from without to
quicken the life within.
The live teacher can arouse tie
slumbellng faculties of the child, and
so interest him as to make him want
to attend school, and the dull parent
can be quickened and warmed into
lite, and made an active worker in
the child's advancement
We as teachers must place much of
the difference complained of to our