Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-01-16
Our Rural Schools Makeshift,
Says DIR. Quar1es

drt.CIe IoConuy PuD'ohSN ="
Richmond Times. Dispatch, contri.
buted by DIR. James A. QuarIes of
Washington and Lee University,
the beginning of which was re-
produced in last weeks issue of
The GAZETTE, is as follows:
"Thls undertaking Of our coun-
try public schools is seen also in
the supervision which is given
them. The conditions are such in
the way of remuneration that only
philanthropic patriot, or else one
needing a job to exc out his sup
port, would undertake the work of
county superintendent of schools.
As a necessary result, the Office Is
filled by men who give it considera-
ton entirely secondary to their
main business as farmers, doctors,
lawyers, preachers, politicians. In
the county Of Rockbridge in the
past twenty years, we have had
two farmers, one doctor and a
lawyer as our county superinten-
dents; only one of these had ever
been teacher. Here again the
thought seems to be that any
ordinary intelligent gentleman,
whether he has ever taught a day
or not, can, as mere side issce,
for salary of five hundred dollars,
efficiently supervise the educational
work of an entire county. We are
manifestly playing with our pri-
mary educational work.
1.-THE most serious indictment
of all perhaps, is to be brought
against parents for their under
| valuing the early school training
of their children. The full term
for our Rockbrldge rural schools
is 100 days out of 865 of the year;
less than one day in three. The
terms are fixed for the winter
months, in which there is the least
to be done OIL the farm, often much
to the discomfort and injury,
bodily and mentally, of the little
ones, who must brave the weather
going and returning. Naturally one
would suppose that every one OF
these few days would be held by
| parents as sacred to the welfare OF
their children in the schoolroom
On the contrary, hardly one OF
these days passes in which some OF
the enrolled pupils are not absent.
1t ls exceptional in these brief
terms to find any scholar who is
punctually present every day.
Absenteeism ls the rule; punctral
attendance the exception. Some
times this is unavoidable but most
frequently 1t is due to reasons
which show the school is made
secondary to the farm, or the
family, the business or the pleasures
of the parents. / he principle seems
to be thai the child can go to
school only when thare is nothing
else that demands attention,
"This absenteeism is a serious
embarrassment to the efficiency OF
the school; primarily in it's effect
upon the absentee himself. Ii
breaks up his habits of study and
and recitation; he loses the full
instruction given by the teacher
it doubles his work until he
catches up, or else he loses the
thread of the subject and becomes
discouraged and laggard. 1t il
unjust to other pupils, his class
mates, whose time is taken in ex
plantations by the teacher to the
absentee on his return. 1t is al
injustice to the teacher, requiring
az uble work of her, and, Otter
making her success impossible, sht
is held responsible for the failure
of the absentee, improperly KEEP
at home ty the parents.
From every point eff view, it IL
manifest that we do not appreciate
our primary school work. W.
have as many colleges as we need
and they are fairly supplied will
teachers and the necessary sppll
ances, though much needs to b.
done for them. Our nigh school
and academies ere respectable il
character, though deficient il
number. But our primary school
are the weakness of cur educa
tional system, aud their defciencie
are felt in the secondary school
and the colleges in the poor pre-
paration of the pupils thet come t
them from below.
Tnstead of tle grand old Nc tn
er State leading her daughters o
the South in this foundation work
she is allowing many of them t
) surpass her. The consequence
are not ur certain. The crown o
. primacy will be taken from her
and put upon the head of enc o
her daughters, unless she sees an
remedies the evil.
{ "She should not be satisfied vi
t til every neighborhood Throughout
her domain has stone, brick,
we'll painted schoolhouse, planne
fer beatty and utility, situated !
: a large plot of grassy lawn, studde
/, With trees and flowers, made a.
4 tractive and comfortable withil
where for two hundred days eac
year every chilo shall be seer
bright and tidy, to be trained lc
happy usefulness by a teach'