The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-12-30
PUBLIC SCHOOL PATRONS
should Heed the Following AdmOni-
tiOn from Rev. Geo. o. Turner

tiOn from Rev. Geo. o. Turner
But if any provide not for his own,
and especially for his own house, he
hath denied the faith and is worse
than an inideL-I Tim 5-S.
Then oh how many have denied the
faith! For surely the first thing is the
spiritual welfare of our dear children,
which so many are neglecting, both by
precept and example, as that is not
preparing them for this life alone, but
for eternity.
In providing for our own household,
as l see it, the next greatest thing is
educating our dear children. That is
preparing them for life. 1t is giving
them something that cannot be taken
from them, something that they can
not lose. 1t is preparing them to go
out into the world, not feeling embar-
rassed and not being handicapped, but
enables them to compete with their
more fortunate contemporaries, in the
business and social circles of life.
If we want our children to rise up
and call US blessed we must, by all
means, give them an education-if no
more, a common school education.
Start them in school at seven, not at
six, and unless sickness prevents keep
them in school every day Don't think
that they can get much of an eduea-
| tion, and be deprived of from one to
three days school in a week.
Going to school is not like any or
binary work, which you can stop day
and then resume by beginning where
you ended. Pupils cannot do that unless
each were in a class to himself AS
each lesson is connecting link, the
child, by missing day or two, is
thrown off, and not understanding the
following lessons, not infrequently be-
comes discouraged, while many times
the poor child has to bear the blame.
1 know that sometimes it seems inevi-
able that we keep our children out to
help in some emergency work, but
from my experience L know that this
will not do as my very limited educa-
tion is partly due to this cause. Since
1 began sending children to school I
have tried to send them regularly, and
already it is obvious that l am amply
remunerated for my exertion. L would
like to visit every school in the county
and wake the parents up along this
line all 1 could. To all pupils let me
say, improve your time while in school,
and to those of you whose help is
ueeueu ny your parents, WOTh SOOu
while at home. l know that it is a
difficult problem to keep our children
in school, while they are so badly
needed at home, but again I know
that it will never do to let them grow
up to be the laughing stock for people,
and have to go thru the world asham-
ed to appear in public, and not COM
mensurating the negroes, financially,
for hoy aa11 crnf -nrI- rl1nrA nd
get from $1.25 to $3.50 and SO per day,
while a white man without an educa-
| tion; can scarcely get a job.
Some men seem to think that because
| they have gotten along so far, pretty
well, without an education, that their
children can do the same They do not
seem to understand that their children
will live in a different age from theirs,
| where everything will be education
marked difference
| BY all means, do keep the children in
| school Have then get up early-not
| conflicting with their required number
of sleeping hours-help what they can
before school, and quite late in the aft
| ernoon, on Saturdays and during the
[ holidays. BY so doing, we surely can
keep them in school all the time.
When we keep them out, we aren't
the only ones losing, for the average
isl decreased, which demands lower
| salaries and fewer prepared teachers
/ Tho much be said, and despite the
| learning capacities and future possi-
bilities of the children it is a sad fact
that some men keep them out to helI
make the. almighty. dollar. But alas
it will be too late when they wake to
| the fact that they have made a vital
| mistake and that there is no remedy
| Ofttimes they will pay the penalty by
| losing their runaway boy, and their
girl marrying some ignoramus that
| doesn't know enough to know how
| little he does know
| 1 am in favor of a compulsory at
| tendance law. 1 do not think a man
has a right to rear children among
free school advantages, and debar them
from their sovereign right of attend
ing. I had rather my children would
go out into the world penniless. than
void of a practical education,
Let me conclude by admonishing
parents that unless they exercise every
effort TO keep their children in school
they will in their old age be filled by
| chagrin and remorse, and will be the
Irecipients of many criticisms retro.
lspected upon them by their posterity