Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1889-03-16
The Educational Column.
D. 1, 1u1a, @, ss!t, Falling Waters, WA

D. l, gu1a,, @, ssrt, Falling Waters VIVA,
For the Educational Column. As
my communication which appeared
in this column a few weeks since has
not met with open condemnation by
the educational fraternity will VEN
ture another intrusion. Said COM
nlunication treated upon no particular
subject but embraced several, neither
of which was exhausted or even elab-
Grated. This one will also come un-
der the caption Of general remarks.
Another fault Of parents, and by the
way very disastrous one to the
young, is the habit of keeping their
children out of school. Some fathers
keep their sons out until the holidays
and then allow them to go about half
the time until the first of March.
Their plea is that, their contracted cir.
cun1stances viii not permit them to
spare their sons any greater length of
time. They forget that their sons
have futures before them, dark, OBJ
scure, unknown futures, filed with
cares and anxieties, perhaps great re-
sponsibilities, trials and ordeals that
will require at least an ordinary
knowledge of the common branches
to pass through them successfully.
They allow pecuniary considerations
and greed for gain to be the upper
most thought of their minds even
though it be to the detriment of their
sons; they are firm believers in the old
saying, sob, he has plenty of time to
learn" these and many other consid-
erations have been the means of
blighting the life of many a boy pos
sessed of brilliant mind, of keeping
in obscurity those who, had they re-
ceived proper training would doubt
less have long since had their names
and fame emblazoned in characters
brighter than gold or more glittering
than diamonds, and who also could
have been beneficial to mankind. Is
it right for the parents to be so
thoughtless and negligent, so incon-
siderate in this matter? Is it right
for mercenary motive to cause child
to grow up into manhood or woman
hood surrounded by all the inconven-
fences, and npleasantness of Hitter
acy? DO not parents do their child
rem great injustice and commit an
objectionable sin before their God by
so doing? Should not the intellectual
welfare of that child be looked after
as matter of paramount Importance?
1 am candid when L say. yes. Of
course some who read this will call
me crank. 'Tis true / am a little
cranky but nevertheless there is vol
umes of truth in what / have said.
But to continue there generally comes
a time in thelife ofsnch parents when
they realize that their children have
not the education that they should
have, that they were not near as well
educated as so and so; and with long
sanctimonious faces say, l can't see
why, they went to school enough,
ever since they were years old until
they We're IS or 10, and similar re-
marks. Oh! yes, seemingly that is
a very plausible tale, but let US see,
that child went two months in a year
and for twelve years making a total
81 months or two years scattered over
twelve. An elegant opportunity to
learn-nothing, and yet you do not
know why your child is notias we'll
educated as some others. You realize
when it is too late that that child has
not the education it should have. But
you never think that you are to
blame. ..........,.. -'...
Still another fault to which / will
allude remains, viz, the habit of in
terfering with teachers plans by
falling to purchase books and not al
lowing your child to study certain
branches. in fact limit it to such few
that it is comparatively unemployed
and becomes a mischief maker, caus-
lng a general turmoil and trouble.
And no matter what mischief is done
this privileged character must not be
corrected or mamma or papa is upon
the scene demanding the why's and
wherefores, accusing the teacher of
partiality, &C., and to cap the climax
takes the child home and keeps it
there, thinking to spite the teacher.
No spite / can assure anyone. AS /
have said before teachers lot is by
no means an easy one, they have
many trials to pass through and
trouble to encounter and endure. Not
infrequently there is discordant feel
ing between the trustees which neces-
sarily keeps teacher in boiling
WdteI. OuS CoutcluS III oho tHihSs
another for something else, and the
third something else, never agreeing
save to disagree. One patron is pleas
ed, another is displeased and a multi
plicity of other things tending to ag-
gravate and worry theteacher instead
of harmony among patrons, trustees,
and all, which would promote their
happiness and welfare. And now /
have already written too much, and
must conclude, and in conclusion al
low me to say that am aware that I
have not argued the subjects alluded
to as / should, bat merely noted
thnna IN choyy that thew ware evils T