Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1906-05-18
Irregular Attendance.

| irregular Htt6uuduCOs
One great obstacle to education In
the South is the irregularity of atten-
dance. Some parents are Indifferent
and let the children remain out OF
school if they do not want to attend
In the absence of compulsory attend
ance laws, the only thing the teacher
can do is to get the children on his
side. In one way or another he must
give them desire to attend. 1t will
tax the ingenuity of most, but strong
teacher can accomplish it.
Other parents don't like the teacher
for some reason, or they feel slip hted
or hurt about something. The teacher
employed is not their choice. The
school house is not where they want
ed it. They have not been consulted
about this or that. In this case the
teache must court the parents-in q
dignified way. He must visit them,
reason with them. and show them the
Difference due them. Of course, he
must have an opinion and will of his
own and not let any foolish whim of
parents swerve him from we'll under.
stood course of right conduct. Espec-
tally must he avoid taking sides with
any faction. A tactful teacher can
accomplish this.
Other parents say they need the help
of their children at home to do errands
or labor in store, shcp or field. Usu-
ally this is not true to any extent, but
the parents think it is, which amounts
to the same. The teacher should visit
such parents and show them how the
children can help at home and go to
school too. This lesson was learned
by the writer when be was a boy. and
it is a valu able lesson for both parents
and children. There are probably not
thousand families in the rural dis
tricts of the Southern States who
could not send all their children OF
school age five days in the week and
still be as we'll off at the end of the
term as they will be if the children re-
main at home.
There are twenty.fOur hours in day
and night. If child sleeps nine. eats
and plays four, and goes to school six,
there are still five hours for any kind
of useful work. Add to this ten hours
on Saturday, and you have thirty five
hours a week for work. If used dill
gently, as much can be accomplished
in this time as it usually accomplish
ed in the whole work. Especially is
this true in late summer, fall and win
ter in the country, where four fifths
of the children of the South live. Most
parents Can be shown that this Is true,
and will be able to adjust the work the
children should do to the hours they
are out of school. Home work and
school work will both be done better
than if only one were attempted, the
health of the children will be better,
and they will have learned valuable
Lesson in economy of time besides.
Still other parents say their children
belong to them. AS parents they Wolk-
ed to support the children when they
were small, and now the children must
work TO support them. Usnally the
first part of the statement is wholly
untrue. but they stick to the coDclu
sion none the less tenaciOusly. They
are no good in schoolin' and educa-
tion, no how. They haint never had
none, and they reckon the children can
get along, somehow. as we'll as they
have. Besides, 1t is no business OF the
teachers nor of anybody else. Many
such are found about cottOn-mlll towns,
and they whittle goods-boxes and serve
Oh the committee of general critics OF
the state, the national government, the
world and the universe. while their
children grind out their lives IN the
mills. For these there is no help ex-
cept a public opinion stronger than we
are likely TO get sO0n, or law that Will
call such action a crime and puLlsh II
rlgidly as SUCH And this law wi
come by and by. In the meantime tie
teacher and all good citizens must dt
what they can with the other classes
named; and if there is case now anc
then of real poverty and helplessness
Ith. Christian people of the communit!
and the state must help the parent
and the children enough to enable th
. child to go to school regularly whl
the school is in session.-SchOol JouI
) nal.