Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-11-07
Educational Field
Conducted BY Hon. M. B. Dennis
The Evils Of irregular Attendance.

ne Evils OF irregular Attenoances
of the schools Nothing tends more to
greater enemy to combat, no more stub
born obstacle to overcome, no more vital
malady to feed upon its life. than the nom
attendance, or irregular attendance. Of
the children upon school. This is more or
less true everywhere in the south. but es-,
pecialIy so in the rural districts. II is
simply alarming in its proportions in GER
tain sections. and how to overcome 1t is
one OF the knotty and serious questions
confronting educators today. 1t produces
condition Of affairs that is bad. not
only from the standpoint of the children
the hope of the country-but from that Of
all true. progressive educators having in
mind purpose to increase the emciency
of the schools: Nothing tends more to
create enemies to the system than does
this condition; nothing Invites so fully un-
friendly and unjust criticism.
For example, the enrolment may be
never so large. so full indeed as TO include
every child Of school age. but IL on ac@
count Of irregular attendance the aver
age number OF children attending regular
ly and receiving the full benefit Of the en-
tire terms instruction should fall to or
below one-half the enrolment we will hear
and unworthy the confidence and support .
of the people, The school term may be
increased to nine or ten months, but II the
average attendance is not improved rthe
result does not justify the effort put
forth" The finest talent available may be.
employed as instructors in the schools,
but If the pitiable average is not aug
mented ''the increased outlay IL not war
ranted.' IF the present educational OPP
portunities are rejected and spurned by
parents and children, why spend more
money to improve them2'' Is.
These and similar expressions are con-
stantly heard. and while greatly exagger-
ated they contain no little truth.
The evil effects Of irregular attendance
upon school-not to mention non-attend-
ance at all-is simply fearful. Could the
people at large be brought to comprehend
its evils they certainly would labor TO
correct It.
Let's look at some of these evils.
1. 1t affects the teacher. 1t makes his !
work more difhcult and infinitely less sat
isfactory. 1t places him where II is utter
ly impossible for him to act with strict
justice to the pupils in the matter Of grad
ing and classification. He cannot do JUS
tice to the pupils in the matter of grad
ing and classification. He cannot do JUS
tice to the CHILDREN, the community or
himself. 1t hampers him. embarrasses
MIN, anu no QOuOls harnesses MIN.
2. 1t affects the school work. It disor-
ganizes and makes the school more difa-
cult to discipline It interferes with the
system of graduation and classification. 1t
demoralizes and disjoints the entire in
ternal machinery of the school and Sc
riously impedes its healthy progress.
8. II affects the child. II lessons the
child's regard for punctuality and regula-
rity and forms in him loose and careless
habits relating to the demands OF life It
encourages and fosters disregard for
good order and law, and engenders dis
position to be insubordihate.
T. 1t affects the child's home. A girl or
boy allowed to form such habits will soon
become menace to the peace. happiness
and good government Of his or her home,
and open rebellion will likely follow.
5. 1t affects the community. Just what
the child is regarding his school duties
and home duties will be when, as a re-
suit of his majority. he becomes citi-
zen. II he is careless, negligent, insubor-
dinate and defiant in the one, he viii be
so in the other. AS is the boy, so will
the man be. This is a law of nature. and
only now and then can exceptions be
found.
Right along on this line 1 reproduce
from the Canadian Educational Journal
the following article on
FORMATION OF HABITS.
The character might be not inaptly de-
scribed as the sum total of the personal ,
habits AS ''the straw best shows how
the wind blows" so the ordinary COM
paratively unimportant act of speech af-
fords a better guide to the real char
acter than that which Is studied and de-
liberate In serious and critical cases the
man has opportunity to take counsel with
prudence selfinterest or expediency. he
takes into account what the distant ef-
fects Of his course of action may be-
what others may think or say Of It. how
ii will affect his reputation and future
prospects and governs himself according
w. But the words spoken and the things
done on 1.-THE spur of the moment the ,
perpetual succession of little actions
which make up the bulk of every life,
are more truly characteristic. They may
be regarded as the spontaneous outcome
of what the man is in his own nature
and training.
Intellectual habits are of the essence
of education. BY repeated acts OF rea-
soning comparing, discriminating, etc,
the process becomes easy, the power IS
developed and the habit established. This
thinking habit is what chiefly distin-
cuisines the truly educated from the I'M
educated The man to whom the exer-
else of each faculty of mind has become
easy through habit, brings all his powers
of thought to bear instantaneously upon
any matter Of interest or importance.
while he who has formed no such naoir
finds IL laborious and fatiguing, Il NOT
impossible. to concentrate his mental fore
es at win upon any object, however wor-
thy of attention.