The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-09-10
School and College Again.

| For the Democratic Advocate.
| And now thoughts turn again to one of the most
| serious problems of life. The parent the school,
the college, and the prospective student prisoner,
dawdler, or rowdy according to temperament and
| character of the one about to go to school-all
these are just now looking back with every variety
of sentiment upon the long vacation, and forward
| with every degree of anxiety to what the coming
school year may unfold. OF the classes above NEIL
| toned, it may be assumed that parents feel the
most genuine concern. And naturally The
child's fortune in school is in sense largely
Observation-Disclosures the parents, that is
| the home influence. Well may father and mother
consider the boy girl about to begin another
year of school, Where does the responsibility for the
child's satisfactory progress lie? 1t must rest in the
last analysis upon the parent. How can that be?
Well if the child is going to public school it is not
the privilege only, but the duty, of every parent or
guardian who sends child to use every possible
influence to have only the best prepared and most
careful teachers appointed. Let any one who
thinks such influences effective make inves-
tigation and prove for himself that any such pub
lie school has in the long the best teacher that
the community as whole demands. OF course it
is usual for parents to shift this responsibility upon
the local trustees, and these upon the School Com
missioners; but nothing is easier than to shift
sponsibility, and nothing more difficult than to
change the eternal order of things. Nature has
Enthusiastically placed the responsibility for the cor
rect rearing of the child upon the parent and no
amount of weak shifting and too ready complaint
of teachers can ever successfully the crimi-
nality of parent who does not take enough inter-
est in the childs welfare to that its school in
| iuences are the very best.
That would be much but it is not all No par.
ent in this age of schools and cheap periodical lit
ott1rn fhn oc;
himself from intelligent interest in the affairs of
the school-prmary school to university-which
in the nature of the case is going to mold so largely
tine chids future. No parent afford not to
support heartily the school he patronizes. 1t is
weak and contemplate to complain publicly and
noisily of that school, One of two manly courses
is always open to him. In a quiet, private and
business way have the abuses corrected; or take
the child quietly away and put him in a school
better adapted to his temperament and capacities.
ANY other course is not only dishonorabe for the
parent, but it is ruinous for the child Confidence
and respect are prime factors in education With
out these all other things of questionable value
For these any other consideration may be safely
sacrificed. The truth is the subject matter of edu-
cation and the truth will always be more or less
obscured BY any lack of confidence in the teacher
which may be encouraged if not suggested by the
hasty, petulant words of the people at home
Has the school, then, no responsibility. Indeed
it has and it is responsibility second only to the
pulpit but is nevertheless very different from that
of the parent. The school is not, and cannot be-
parent, and to hug such delusion is most perni-
ciOuS to all concerned. Some member or members
of a school may perhaps act in loco PARENTS, but
that is by means the school as such. The schools
chief concern is perhaps to furnish the best posi-
BILE environment and influence and guidance for
students in quest of truth When school falls be-
low this ideal, whether public private, primary
scho oil or university it is time for the parent to ask
for correction of the faults or move his child to
better school. Few schools can maintain that
standard without the cooperation of PARENTS with
that cooperation nearly all could be so brought up
About the st udent little need be said here He
| is an individual, the school an institution The
| student will attend but few years at most; the
life OF the school is perpetual. The student can
| not influence the school to any noticeable extent
the schools influence upon the student will be de-
terminative. The school is an opportunity not, as
parents to often assume, manufacturing establish
ment. The student is an immortal free agent not
inert material The school is to the child what the
world is TO the man. He may do in it according to
his choice and capacity, always provided that he
must accept the results of his own doing. If both
parents and students realized the import of these
simple sefevident truths there would be as result
not only better schools but far greater number of
| students. GEO WASHINGTON