The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-10
VOX POPULI
EAvoRS COMPULSORY
EDUCATION LAW

Editor Pensacola Journal:
A recent Issue of the Journal made
mention of the fact that there We're
children in the city, who were debar-
red from the advantage of free educa-
ton in the public schools, through
the misfortune of being iusufiiciently
clothed
| 1t is bad enough That IN so com
paratively small community such
conditions should exist The publiea-
| ton of the fact supplemented by the
| information that the local charities
were unable to render any assistance.
! coming on the heels of Wanted pros
perity and far spread talk of the need
of a half million dollar hotel-might
| lead outsiders to view the contem-
plated building, as a caldFon, into
which the available resources of the
| town are being poured TO mould a
| golden calf.
A deficient wardrobe does not seem
to be the only obstacle the would-be
student encounters. The present cur
riculum requires the use of certain
specified text books, considered neces-
sary to the proper grading of the
schools, but far too expensive for a
family purse already too light to af-
ford sufficient clothing for its mem
bers.
There is so much expense attached
to attendance at the public schools
that really it would seem as operated
today, the system falls short of the
original purpose of its institution
free tuition for the poor-when the
blue back speller and an equally in
expensive reader supplemented by a
slate, costing five cents, constituted
a scholars outfit and was within the
prevented their patronizing pay
schools.
A thinker on these problems has
suggested the propriety of the state
furnishing books, and by economy in
other matters, il could be managed
without much heavier eneroachment
on the school fund. Less pretentions
plans for the architect, would leave
surplus for the printer. And since
the state regards the establishment
and maintenance of free schools of
paramount Importance. it might go
still further and furnish uniforms to
be worn by all attending pupils
thereby removing one of the most
frequent causes of noR-attendance.
While those interested in the
training of our young people, deplore
this slack attendance, did it never oc-
cur to them, that insufficient cloth
ing" might be the cause of this de-
linquency on the part of children and
parents.
According to present social grading
our status in so called society is
largely dependent on the cost and
quality of the clothes we wear Men
nave gone to Jail in the struggle to
keep up appearances, and the same
false standard of socIal equality
prompts parents to keep children from
school. rather than display their pow
erty-knowing full well that at school
they must encounter sights and con-
temptuous shrugs, for every patch in
the shabby garment
Compulsory education would SAVIOR
of the curtailment of personal liber
~, but no one could reasonably re-
fuse to don the prescribed uniform
upon enrolment on the school list.
any more than the soldier on enter
ing the army.
This rule would go far towards in
culcating in youthful minds the funda-
mental principles OF democracy-the
equality of man, and once adopted.
the percentage of non-attendants at
public schools would be perceptibly
lessened.
VIRGINIA DARE