The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-27
PARENTS AND THE SCHOOLS.
Supt. Ashmore Discussed Cedartown
Episode From Several Points.

Supt. AshmOre Discussed Cedartown
Episode From Several Points.
II believe tact should have been used
by both teacher and parent" said Supt.
Otis Ashmore, of the public schools, yes
terday. when discussing the queer case
from Cedartown. that has Just been argued
before the Supreme Court. DR.. William
Bradford wanted a ruling in the case
where his daughter had been expelled
from the Samuel Benedict Memorial
School in Cedartown, for not preparing a
paper in debate upon the question. Re
solved, that the American system of jury
trials should be abolished" Dr. Brad
ford concluded that the subject was too
weighty one for his 13-year-old daugh-
ter, and the dismissal from The school
OF the child would have resulted from his
refusal to allow her to expend any time
upon the paper, had it not been that he
secured an injunction in the courts.
Tact should be used in dealing with
such questions between teachers and par
ents," continued Supt. Ashore Il do
not mean the conniving at wrong, but
mingling of wisdom and judgment that
might be the means of smoothing over
difficulties and bringing matters back to
their proper place. l find tact of inesti-
mable value in many of the questions by
which l am confronted in the admins
tration of the duties of my position.
1t is difficult to say just who was right
in the Cedartown episode. The courts US
ually and properly allow wide latitude TO
the school authorities of which the teach
ers are the representatives, in settling
matters pertaining to the conduct of the
institutions, and it may be that such a
subject could be interpreted as complying
with the common school law of instruc-
ton in English branches. A debate might
possibly be so considered, though others
would believe it included in high school.
rather than common schol education
Parents should not attempt to dictate
as TO what their children should or should
not study. For instance, l should not al
low a man to tell me that his child should
not study arithmetic l should try 10 con-
vert him to my way of thinking as to the
advantages of arithmetic in educa ton
but, That failing, l should tell him that
we were not conducting a school for the
development of children in one-sided
way / should impress upon him that we
seek to round off chidren's minds, not to
leave them partially undeveloped
of course this instance of arithmetic is
unusual. but | might employ geography
In some of the country districts l have
mad parents say that their children did
not need 10 study geography as they
would never do any travelling, and they
really desired that the study be left out of
the course
IF the parent in Cedartown considered
the subject assigned to his child as too
dlfhcult, it would have been better for him
60 tell the teacher so and merely request
that she be excused from writing upon it.
A downright refusal to permit her to sub
NIT a paper did no good, and the mat
ter might have been settled more har-
moniously. Or If would have been easy
enough for the parent 90 explain one or
having her write not more than ten lines
enough to fulfill the requirements
Then the teacher went too far prob
baby. 1t might have been just as we'll
to let the matter drop, accepting the
statement that the child could not write
upon a subject considered beyond her
years and mental development. From my
point of view, both teacher and parent
were in the wrong.
THE Supreme Court has usually sus-
tanned the school authorities in cases APP
pealed. Especially has this been true with
regard to corporal punishment. the court
believing the teacher to be in loco pa
RENTS.
Col. George A. Mercer. president of the
Board of Education, said the case is sim
liar 90 one taken before the Supreme
Court from Augusta. The school author
tiles were supported in the decision. and
Col Mercer believes such will be the case
in that brought by the CedartoWn man.