The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1906-01-26
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.

What Can the Parent DO Tor the School
I'm answering this question / desire
TO be quite brief. so that what ] have
to say may be suggestive rather than
exhaustive.
/ desire lirst of all to assure the pa
rents VINO may read this article that
] cal fully sympathize with them in
their difficulties as am a parent and
ann sending four children TO school.
What ] have TO say is not therefore
written in a censorious spirit, but with
a keen appreciation Of the conditions
which render it So difficult for parents
TO DO their full duty towards the school
AS an important means for the educa-
ton OF their children.
However, we parents need TO keep
before our minds just what our duty
is and 10 be constantly striving to at
tain unto the full measure Of that du-
Ity.
Let as ask ourselves then in all
seriousness and sincerity: What can
We do TO make the school better?
First, we can see TO il that our child
rem attend the school regularly and
promptly. Start them to school the
day itopens and send them every day
until il closes.
The sessions are short enough at
best-about g months i'm the country, !
and TO wait until nearly two months
have passed before starting your boy |
is 10 deprive him Of valuable opportu-
mites. 90 discourage him as he must |
IA ! back in clas,e, with pupils small
er than himself and TO greatly hinder
the teacher IN her work Of classingand
grading the children Of her school.
And then after he begins, aud is
getting somewhat Interested in his
studies 30 keep him at home for two
OF three days % get wood or to strip
tobacco is enough to make him feel
like giving up all idea Of getting an
and enough 10 make any
teacher who is interested i'm the pro-
gress OF the children and i'm the work
OF the school almost despair Of accom-
plishmg anything IN her great work.
The records i'm my Office show that
only siX out OF ten children of school
age attend school at all, and that only
four out Of the six who come at all at
tend regularly.
Surely, after making all allowances
for sickness, for bad weather, foractual
necessity for the aid of the larger boys
at home, there still remains aconsider-
able amount of absence from school
that must bee caused 10y the parents
FAULT
In the secot q place parents can rem =
ter great service in improving the
school by heartily supporting the
eacher in the discipline of their child
ZEN. This point was admirably pre- ,
euted and enforced iu q recent article
u the Herald written, at my request,
~ Mr.. Robert x. Brock, and / need
ay nothing further ON this particular
'hase of the parents duty, except to
heartily endorse what Mr.. Brock there y
o forcIbly presents.
hope every parent who has not
cad his article VIII look up the Her
Id Of January 18th and peruseit care {
llly and thoughtfully j
I'm the third place, the parent can do Il
luch TO aid the school by seeing to it
hat their children study their lessons u
home. 30 school can be a success r
the children study only between
in school hours. ID
From one to three hours should be -
'und for study out Of school, and it
plainly the parents fault if oppor- III
unity is not given the child, ,or if he
not required, to spend such time as
nay be necessary TO learn one or two re
his lessons at home. Many parents i'm
lu directly aid their children in pre- We
airing these lessons, all can help by VI
rowing interest i'm the progress their VI
lildren are making aud 10y furnish Of
" them quiet and comfortable place W
which 10 prepare their lessons for ha
he next day.
In this three-fold way, then, the fri
aren't can help 10 make the school W,
.tter-seud your children 10 school Br
support the authority Of the de
acher, and see tina the children 70
udy at home. ref
j. II. DAVIS, Supt. an