The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1891-11-20
The Egis & Intelligencer
Bel Air, Nd, November 20. 1891.
IRREGULAR ATTENDANCE AT OUR
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Open Letter from school Superintendent
Worthington.


Worthington.
0ece Board School Commissioners,
BEL AIR, Md, Nov. nth, 1891.
Mr.. EpIroR: My hope that 1t may be both in
teresting and profitable to lay before the pubic
some facts with regard to our public school sys-
tenn is my reason for thus addressing you.
The general interest in the system is all the
keener because of the material support all tax
payers and patrons must give, ana because IL has
grown to such proportions mat IL has nearly
supplanted all other means of education in this
MARYLAND feels severely the need of perma-
nent school fund. In many of the States this
fund was created from the sales of public lands,
and in some of them is nearly sufficient to take
the place of all direct school tax.
Texas is the most notable example her school
fund before the year 1900 will exceed 100000 600.
revenue flows from local laws, as in Dorchester
county, where the oyster license and fines paid
to the public schools amount to nearly SloOOU
Hartford, however has to trust to revenue re
ceived from direct tax alone, so from business
standpoint our people should try TO get back
their annual outlay by a generous use OF the
schools.
While the general patronage. of Hartford
schools is good compared with the rest OF the
State. their enrolment being 81 per cent. OF the
countys population. while the enrolment OF the
whole state including limo b Gg teS Is SO
show that we do not get as much out OF the
schools as we should. The acreage attendance
for term is only about 81 per cent. of the enroll
meAt. and for q whole year is As per cent.
This means that many of our children reach
the measure of their ambition by doing little
more than enrolling their names, while many
more are enrolled one term and entirely absent
the next. The average attendance IS not affected
80 much by bona 1de reasons, Sucn as a lack or
means to supply children with suitable clothing.
etc., or the temptation offered by remuneratlve
labor as it is by the educational sentiment OF the
community.
Taking for instance the set of reports sent in
from all the schools last week. md the follow
ing ten schools, Havre de Grace, Boothby Hill,
Aberdeen, Edgewood, Perryman, Magnolia, Cal
vary, Hope, Chestnut Hill and Darlington,
averaged for the week from 81 to 30 per cent. of
their enrolment, while ten other schools taken
from the same set of reports and representing
from 10 10 "a per cent. The reports further show
that So schools have an improved and 70 re-
duced enrolment compared with the same peri.
cd last year, giving net gain in enrolment or
The evil fruits resulting from irregular attend
auce are many. Failure to do the whole years
work in a fraction of year and hence failure to
secure promotion at the end OF the year dis
enlargement when present because the child
has missed so much valuable ground passed over
while he was absent; injustice done the regular
children by taking time naturally belonging to
them TO push up the irregular ones; lack or
interest in his work q lack of natural mental
development resulting from regular systematic.
daily work, but never following spasmodie eff
forts-these are a few or the many evils 1olloW-
ing irregulsr attendance.
Granting that most people need the services of
their older children, and that many of them can
not spare such from the farm or shop, the argu-
ment is all the stronger that the young children
should be kept in school regularly. In early life
their services have very slight money value. if
any ; but If kept regularly in school until IL or
IA years of age, these children will then have
fairly we'll developed minds as well as bodies
and can be of very considerable value in various
calugs. Had they attended school only when
nothing better turned up during these same
years, their minds would have completely run
10 weeds, their tastes have become so warped
and narrowed, and their modification at being
graded in school with small children have been
so great that it almost useless to drive their
unwilling feet inside the school house door. for
their destiny has already been fixed as "hewers
of wood and drawers of water" and their daily
wages reduced 33H per cent. for want of pri-
mary education.
with poverty of mind won by parents narrow
treatment of their little ones, have the most
profound sympathy for it not only deprives the
man of that ever-present blessing which is the
daily support of one having trained mind, but
II is an inheritance which inevitably thrusts him
into the herd of ignorant migrants almost
daily stepping onto our shores. Furthermore, it
makes him but tool of the cheapest sort instead
of strong free agent to help fill our elective
offices with suitable men, and keep clean and I'M
furnished the freedom won for him century
ago.
Every emotion of pride, patriotism and pater-
nal affection prompts US to give our children
fair chance to wage and win the battle of life in
this great age, when the watchword is "onward
and upward" Very respectfully.
JOHN d. WORTHINGTON, Examiner.