Smyrna times., 1902-05-14
COLUMN Of INTEREST TO
SMYRNA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
1.-THE PARENTS RELATION TO THE PUB.
Lie SCHOOL," BYJ.P. BURDETTE
influence OF the School Upon Pupils Life
and the Parents Duty in Proper Dis.
cipline and Home Training.

This relationship is the one upon
which all the others depend. 1t is in
many respects the most important vet
the least understood.
In the first place, parents do not
realize the influence of the school up-
on the pupils life or realizing it do
not know how they can make that in
nuence better or worse. They will
spend great amount of money and
Time IN training a blooded horse that
may be owned by them. They will
see that everything is done whereby
the health of the horse will be main
tanned, and they will secure the best
trainer possible for that horse. But
because the public looks after the
school, the parent confdingly puts the
pupil in the care of the school and
thinks no more about it.
To some parents the school is con-
venlent place to keep the children
while they are at work. They start
them off early, and if the children re-
turn Just in time for bed so much the
better. Others see that their children
are being taught differently, from
what they themselves were taught and
complain, not that the new method
might not be better, but that it is diff
terent from the old. To such, any ad-
vance is looked upon with alarm.
There are others, whose lack of
knowledge of what is being done in
the school is just as great as that of
the two classes just mentioned, who
Will send word to the teacher how
their children must be taught and dis
clpllhed. Very often these parents
allow their children to do things at
home that can not be permitted at
school because of the rights of others
Such parents, ignorant of the nature
Of the school and not going to the
trouble to find out, cause an endless
amount of worry to the teacher.
Parents Should Visit the SchOOI.roOm.
There are others, and this class is
yearly increasing, who take an intel
ligent interest in their children's edu-
cation. They will talk over the inter
ests of their children with the teacher
and will do everything in their power
to cooperate with the teacher in teach
ing aud discipline. The reports are
carefully looked into and the reasons
Tor low marks are especially noted.
= b parents do not allow their child
rem to run upon the streets at night
when they should be in bed asleep.
And social gatherings are held upon
such evenings as will least interfere
with the children's school duties.
They are also careful as to the where.
abouts of their children before and
after school hours. But with these
there Is not the attention to the school
that is possible. Parents do not visit
the schools as much as an intelligent
knowledge of the schools demand.
But there is a time to visit, and it NAV
be that knowledge of the best time for
visiting is all that is necessary to in
sure more of 1t. The parent who will
know what kind of work is being done
by the teacher will visit that teacher
before that child is sent to the school
or teacher. AS the teacher manages
other children they will likely manage
theirs. There is always this to be
kept in mind, that teacher and pupil
will not be just the samein the parents
presence as in their absence. Parents
must Judge by the general demeanor
of the children as to the general in
fuence Of school life.