Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-10-06
IRREGULAR ATTENDANCE
HuRTFUL TO PUPILS
MONROE. ca, sept. SO. -.

MONROE, Ga, Sept. so, 1902.
To the Editor of the Journal:
A Query for Educators in The Jour
nal of the 2st instant, believe. attracted
my attention.
The question was asked why is it that
children hate so to go to schOol?" After
citing a most unusual case wherein a p
year-old boy in New York threw himself
out Of a window rather than go TO school,
the statement is made that Children hate
school," That proposition is too broad 10
be true. We might modify it by saying
some cnildren hate school and admit
the truth of it in its modified form.
The case of the New York lad does not
illustrate the mental attitude Of children
in regard to schoOl-going. In this boy
there was strong distaste for school,
whatever might have been the cause. Dis
obedience to his father. obstinacy, vol
canic temper and mind temporarily in
sane figure cOnspicuously.
Careless and Indifferent parents contrib
ute far more to this antipathy for school
going in the minds of some children than
all the schools, with their varied require
ments and all the teachers, with their
peculiar temperaments in Christendom.
The children are allowed to attend school
irregularly. Interest In school work is
soon lOst-if any was ever had. No child
likes to gmake of himself blunderhead
in recitation (unless morally depraved),
but this is often true with the Irregular
pupil. lie is in today and out tomorrow.
The teacher cannot depend, upon him for
a good recitation This fact is manifest
TO the child as well as to his classmates.
He dislikes school; he begs to leave it:
his pleading is in vain; he continues in
a half-hearted way until he is large
enough either to run away from home or
to whip his father, and then he stops.
And here is the boy whose unframed
mind has revolted from the mental drill
and discipline and why? Go back TO the
home and consult his fathers disciplinary
code.
1t is admittedly true that teaching. as
an art and teachers have not reached per
lection. The patrons of any Georgia school
will ready assent to this proposition But
we must deny that it does not, and we
stand ready to prove that our system can
and does make work attractive to heal
thy boy or girl who attends school regu-
larly and who gets an iota of encourage
ment from those at home. Good discipline
in home means good discipline at school
in home means good discipline at school,
ordinarily, and where the wire of active
sympathy connects teacher and parent
there's harmony, there's a boy or girl who
loves school, whose mind does not revolt
when correct or even rigid discipline is
enforced.
Yes, the road 10 learning Is haru' anu
ought to be made as attractive as possible
for the young feet. With the value Of
training the mind through the eye and
hand learned, educators, generally, be
lieve that all school work will In the fu-
ture be made more attractive still II Is
well to bear in mind along here that
there is danger Of putting too much SUI
gar in the coffee; if | may be pardoned
for using the expression,
our American system of education is on
the upward move If the Empire State is
little behind in the procession with only
soc per pupil year from the public school
fund. THOMAS = hOl l..