The Elbert County tribune., 1907-04-11
The Worth Of a Boy.

The following article recently appeared
IN the Journal Of Education and Is from
the pen of DIR. N. G. Schaeffer. state su-
perintendent OF Pennsylvania and presi-
dent OF the National Educational Asso-
citation. just now, when many of the
boys are dropping out of school, it should
especially commend itself to every
ihoughtful parent:
what is boy worth? What is an
education WORTH An Indiana jury has
awarded s599.99 Tor the killing Of boy.
2 friend OF mine, who is superintendent
u West Virginia, cslled that award an
outrage. asked him why. He an
sSered: To say nothing OF the value of
q boys personality and all that boy is
g his father and mother and home. the
commercial value of boys time at
school is more than the award Of the In
diana Jury. l asked him how he made
the calculation. He said: You lind the
value of boys time at school by sub
aacting the earnings OF life OF unedu
Gated labor from the earnings of life of
Educated labor Then he gave me a
calculation that have used this year
before every institute, for i am anxious
% get it into the daily papers, to have it
carried to every schoolroom and put up
on every blackboard. SO that the pupils
may carry it home and discuss it with
their parents.
feHe said: III an uueducated man
earns sl.50 day for 800 days in year.
ae does very we'll; and if he keeps it up
for forty years, he will earn 81 l.50x3O0x40,
or $4,000. An educated man is not gen
orally paid by the day, but by the month
and by the year. II you will strike an
average of the earnings Of educated men,
beginning with the president OF the
United States, who earns $4,000 year,
the presidents of the insurance compan-
les and Of large railroad companies, and
run down the scale until you come to
the lower walks in point Of earnings
among educated men, you will admit
that $1,000 year is a low average for
the earnings Of educated labor. For
forty years you have $4,000 as the earn
ings OF an educated man Subtract
$4,000 from $4,000, and the differences,
o $4,000, must represent the value of
bXs time at school getting an educa-
{ IT,
"You will all admit that man who
works with his hands at unskilled labor
puts forth as much muscular effort as
man who earns livelihood by his wits
and education. Now, if $4,000 repre-
sents the value of time boy spends at
school getting an education, what is the
value of a day spent at SCHOOL,
"The average school life OF every boy
and girl in Massachusetts is seven years
Of 200 days each; let US say that it takes
four years more to get a good education.
Reckoning eleven years of 200 days each,
you will lind that the 2,200 days at school
are equal to $4,000, and simple divis-
ion on the blackboard will bring it home
to the comprehension of every boy that
each day at school, properly spent, must
be worth $40.
"One director asks whether it is vio-
lation of the compulsory law il farmer
keeps at home his eleven year. old boy to
plow, because it costs s1.00 day to get
some man to do it. While he is putting
sl.0O into his own pocket, he is robbing
the boy of $40 in the shape OF future
earning capacity. is not that high
handed robbery by the father of his own
child?"