The Elbert County tribune., 1904-02-25
Parents Are Responsible.

Since the district attorney has called
attention to the fact that the compulsory
school law is not being enforced, il seems
opportune to mention some causes for
there being persons in our communities
who are amenable to this law. Parents
and guardians are to blame for the tru.
ancy Of children. The parent permits
the child TO disobey in little things in
the home without being corrected. As
the child grows it becomes more and
more rebellious against restraint or dis
cipline. This rebellious spirit, allowed
to grow in the small child, is rapidly de
veloped after he enters the public school.
lie chafos under the necessary rules and
discipline of his teacher. He regards the
tasks Of the school as too exacting, the
rules too rigid, the teacher too severe.
He "a constantly Matching up excuses
fronlschool and he carries all sorts OF
petty complaints to his parents. As he
grows older he becomes more aggressive.
He incites his schoolmates to little dis
turbances in school; he detests his les
sons; he rises up in open rebellioni deiies
his teacher and becomes a truant-a fit
subject for the reform school.
The parent does an irreparable wrong
by not enforcing strict obedience at
home, as nine times out of ten the child
who is made to mind at home will yield
without question to any reasonable re-
quinment of his teacher. But the mis-
takes Of many thoughtless parents do not
end here. They take up the cudgel
against the teacher in behalf OF their mis-
guided offspring, making bad matters
worse. They seem to regard the teach
er sh n common enemy, an aggressor
az 4inst tliair rights and Priviloges. This
is all wrong. Almost without exception
the teachers in our public schools are
honestly and earnestly endeavoring to
help those placed under them 20 acquire
all the knowledge possible in the limited
time given them that these pupils may
be the better equipped to fight the bat
tie of life. Teachers are poorly paid
class at best. And why misguided par
ents and pupils should be in constant
warfare against those employed to help
them to better condition is II puzzle in
human nature the writer has never been
able to solve.
1t is not an uncommon sight in this
country to see a man explaining to a
cashier in shamefaced manner that
he cannot write his name on the check
he is presenting for payment. 1t is a
pitiful sight. All he knows about the
happenings Of this busy world of ours is
what someone tells him. And il we
could read the thoughts OF tnat mhn we
would find him secretly cursing his par
ent or guardian because they did not
compel him to attend school. 1t is tho
plain duty of each parent TO enforce au.
thority at home; insist on constant atten-
dance at school and strict compliance
with its rules. Stand Loyalty by your
board of directors. II they have made
mistake in the selection Of n teacher
they did not do SO wilfully. They are
doing the best they can with the limited
amount Of money you have intrusted to
them for school purposes. No good is
accomplished by throwing every obstacle
in the way OF their performance of a
thankless task at best. The place to
rebuke unsatisfactory scnool directors
is at the polls. The first duty of every
school board is to faithfully uphold the
teacher in everything he or she under.
takes for the betterment of the school
under their supervision. There arc to
be found in nearly every district men
who have never given the above plan a
trial. But il they would, we would not
only have better schools, but less factional
strife and best of all, by so doing they
would be helping the children to help
themselyes.-L Jara Chronicle.