The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-01

and it is a fact that nine-tenths of the
cases were made by children habit
ually irregular in their attendance. As
rule hardness and irregular attendance go
hand in hand Last years report of the
school board further shows than an aver
age of % per cent of the school children
registered. failed to attend school at all.
OF those attending and enrolled little more
than 30 per cent attended daily. SO
that we had an average of only about %
per cent of the children of the city OF
school age who were registered and at
tended school daily Our schools cost us
$50. 600 annually, and not two-thirds of the
pupils in attendance regularly. Here IS
an opportunity for tax payers TO do some
kicking as well as teachers. Here are
schools kept up by a general sys-
TEN of tax ton, ready with open
doors to receive the children, while parents
respond by sending two-thirds OF them 70
school. The school expenses will not be
enhanced if the other third attended
school every day. This estimate Is not
based upon the number of children OF
school age in the city but upon the num-
Der, who, some time during the year, were
enrolled as scholars Now, with such
showing Of hardness and irregular at
tendance as this for the past year, Is not
the school board justified in adopting
stringent rules, and insisting upon their
enforcement? Besides tard ness is some
thing that is seldom justifiable From its
very nature il should not be often excused.
Time pieces are everywhere plentiful. and
school bells ring their warning even unto
the second time.
The extra teachers in penmanship, draw
ing and music, are just now rather expeu-
sive luxuries IL must be admitted, and
those teachers under the existing cOudl-
tions do little more in their specialties
hn iryhr or
it now be known that teachers applying
for positions next year must be qualified
TO teach those additional requisites in &C
cordance with the proficiency of the grade
work applied for, and all of the good,
ambitious teachers now IN the schools
would, by September next, be sufficiently
versed in those sciences to teach them and
teach them well. The teachers did not
demand these specialists.
If patrons would visit the schools oftener
and consult the teachers honestly and
frankly every time trouble arose, there
would undoubtedly be less faultfnding,
and the public interests would be better
conserved. Teachers need a little praise
sometimes, and il would sound better 10
them TO receive some of it before they die.
Teaching is very enervating, and that
coupled with the incessant red tape of
written examinations so popular with the
school board, thus compelling teachers TO
do much work outside of school hours,
leaves them but very little time for physi-
cal recreation. Nearly all of them have
very poor health after a few years teach
ing In their hands is great and sacred
keeping The intelligence and morals of
our teachers are now being lndell6ly
stamped upon the impressionable minds OF
our children, and the next generation will
largely be what the teachers of this coun-
try will it tO.b be. They may make mistakes
for they are human, but we should be
chary in our criticisms lest we do a worthy
teacherlan injury which noact Ofours could
afterward undo. A. r. MUSELLER.