The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1888-04-20
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
To the Parents Of the Pupils Belonging 70 tbs
Pabllc Schools Of Albany.

this evil are not only felt by the schooi as
whole, but they extend, In still greater de-
grse,to the individual pupil. am sure that
much of the irregular attendance In our
schools Is caused by misunderstanding of
its effects, on the part Of many who have a
large control of the matter. In consequence
of this fact, many pupils are absent from
school through the indifference OF the re-
suits, Parents are eiten to blame fer the
| backwaFdneAs OF their children In school, and
Il Is not to be wondered at that pupils some
times fail to retain their places In class. TX.
perienee shows that the most OF those psgsls
who are degraded, or put Into lower classes,
are pat there through the effects irregular
attendance. The pupil who Il absent day
here and day there, has lost link In the
chain OF reasoning that must be continuous
from lesson 10 lesson he Is conscious of
weak places In his Fecitaiions. The loss Of
one or two recitations might be Temedied, TO
a certain extent, by extra exertions on the
part Of the pupil ; and yet he Is lower. lie
loses the enthusiasm that class give him,
from not being present to recitc with them.
In almost all classes there arc new thoughts
and Ideas developed In every recitation. lie
loses these. The pupil who ls absent sever
al days in month, losing a number OF reel.
tations, becomes hopeIessly discouraged
eventually. unless he be of an unusually
hopeful disposition. Soon all Is darkness
and blank. lie does not sec why "ihis Is
50" or "that ls So" nor does he "remcmber
of having recited on this subject beisre," for
the very good reason that he was absent
when Ii was presented to his class.
What Is TO be done The teacher cannot
taks the time OF the whole class to clear the
pupils mind Of this seemingly mysterious
subject. The good of the majority IL the
object for which the teacher must work. No,
the pupil must do the best he can, and In
ninety nine cases out Of every hundred. he
will not be able TO regain his footing in the
class he viii lose all his interest In his
studies, and the time which should be spent
in preparing his lessons will be wasted In
idIeness or in mischief. recognize the fact
that there may be emergencies which viii
render the occasional abscnce Of pupil
from school desirable and necessary, and
also understand very we'll that In cases Of
sickness there must be relaxation Of the
ordinary requirements. But arc there not
often times that children are kept at home
for this little thing and that little thing, when
II would be better for all concerned that the
children should be IN Rschsol Ills convenient
/ know to keep them At home 10 do this and
that, but think what evils are entailed upon
them, when, BY very little inconvenience
and effort on tho part Of the parents, they
might be happy in school, keeping pace with
their wide-awake classmates.
Tardiness Is almost as great an eyil as Ir.
regular attendance. 1t begets in the pupil
the Aa6it Of being behind. A pupil who con.
tinues to be tardy Is usually found behind in
his whole school work.
BY punctuaIly closing.as well as by punct-
ually opening, school, We aim to set good
example, and, by this MEANS to lessen. to
some extent, the number Of cases Of tardi-
ness. Beginning at any time between nine
and ten In the morning means closing at any
time between four and five In the evening.
Loose time az either end of the day makes
loose time at the other end. Our school
does not close somewhere along about
four" but precisely at four. We close on
principle and not by chance. Promptness
and decision In doing common and frequent
ly recurring duties constitute an important
element In the character OF any individual.
BY being prompt, then, in all that pertains
to the school we wish not only TO set geod
example 10 those under our care, but to show
both parents and pupils that we practice
what we require of others, and that our
school Is managed, In the respect OF time, on
business principles. We say to our scheol,
"You come at the right time and you shall
90 at the right time. We believe in dismis
sing when the hour for dismissal comes
you must come In time, so that our work
may be done before night"
IL Is an erroneous notion that all the school
tasks are over as soon as the lessons have
been recited, whereas the plan Is to secure
some time each day, In school, fer preparing
for the next days work and for such general
instruction and training as may be thought
helpful. Under the mistaken view, that a
pupils presence Is not needed except during
his hours of actual recitation, we receive
numerous requests from parents to permit
their children to come late, and to leave
school as soon as they have recited. The
right development ofthe pupils demands
that they should be present throughout each
days sessions, from the opening to the
closing Of the days work. If they are not
actually engaged In reciting lessons, provis-
ion is made for their spending the time In
study and in other suitable ways, so that
there is no idle time and there are no prof
itless hours.
In many cases children dismissed early
from school, under requests easily gained
from parents, have, instead of going direct
ly to their home,placed themselves in reach
OF temptation by lettering on the way, or by
going to places of which their parents were
ignorant. We feel unwilling, for these rea-
sons, to grant excuses for lateness, or to
consent to early dismissal, and beg that
parents will not make such applications
except in cases where the necessity Is imper-
atiYe. IL 1t Is desired that pupil should
take private lessons In special studies from
other teachers, or should assist in any heme
work, very little contrivance will, in most
cases. secure hours fer these purposes other
than the regular cchool hours. believe
that the best interests of the children are
secured, and their future usefulness advanc-
ed, by haying them feel that In connecting
themselves with the school, they enter upon
the preparation of themselves for the real
work Of life, that for the time being 1t is as
real as anything can be in the future, and
that therefore they should cultivate habits
of promptness, patience, and fidelity. But
pupil who Is taken out of school to attend
entertainments, to visit with some friend or
relative, or to see him off On the train, to
perform some household task which might
be attended to at any other time, or to graft
fly some caprice, Is apt to conclude that his
school work is of but little importance, and
he thus grows up without the painstaking