St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1913-09-20
SOME WASTES IN EDUCATION.

teachers. patrons and friends OF the
public schools to resolve to raise the
efficiency of the schools of the par
ish. 1t is useless to pay out money
to build and equip school houses IN
less these improved facilities are
utilized to q proportionate extent.
It is doubtful If any enterprise Of
the State suffers such wastes as ouI
school affairs. It even surpasses the
money squandered on our public
roads. It 10 enough to cause the tai
payers Of this State to rise up and
demand these wastes to be stopped.
In q number of States these evils
have been met with compulsory edu-
cation and more rigid supervision.
Will this have to be the remedy for
Louisiana?
Here are these great classes OF
waste in our schools. The first Is In
irregular attendance; the second Il
in boys and girls leaving school be-
fore completing the higher grades.
The third is in pupils failing to pass
their grades at the close Of school,
taking two or three sessions to do
tasks prepared for one.
The first is the greatest waste.
Last session Covington enrolled dur
ing the session 382 pupils; the last
month 277 attended, showing loss
of los, or 26 per cent. Slidelf en-
rolled for the session 439. the last
month 297, losing 142 or 80 per cent.
A number of rural schools. with SIX
months session, lost so per cent. So
great is this loss that State Superin-
tendent Harris recommends q reduc-
ton in term. The annual loss to
the State is about 100000. St.
Tammany bears the part Of $4,000
annually. But as this waste usually
comes towards the close of the SEES
sions. this will be more fully dis
cussed later.
The second loss or waste IL In
boys or girls stopping out before they
finish the higher grades. The high
school department is more expensive
than the lower grades, and when
pupils withdraw in the sixth, seventh
or eighth grades it means money
wasted in salaries and expen-
sive laboratory apparatus and libra
ries. Last year, at Covington, out Of
3S2 pupils. only 2 graduated. Look
how they fall on. There were 81 In
the primary grade. 81 in the Sec
ond grade, ~ in the third grade. 50
in the fourth grade. ~ in the fifth
grade, 81 in the sixth grade. - In
the seventh grade. 81 in the eighth
grade, 10 in the ninth grade. in
the tenth grade and 3 in the eleventh
OF the three In the senior class only
two came on and graduated. We
must do something to hold the boys
and girls in until they finish the high
school. In dollars and cents each
year in school, where the pupil finish
es the work for that grade, is worth
not less than 5000. This can be
proved by actual statistics.
A boy or girl of Is or older would
hardly feel quite respectable these
days not to know how to read and
write. Will it be unjust when con-
ditions are such that public sentt-
ment will almost hold up to ridicule
boy or girl 20 years of age who has
not the equivalent to a high school
education, unless prevented by ply
steal defects or causes other than
lack of ambition?
United States statistics show that
the average income Of farmers who
are graduates Of high schools Is
about $500 higher than those who
are not. A young lady at Homer.
La, took the, time to make q table
Of the records Of the students Of the
high school Of her town. She found
that the income Of those who had
finished that school was $4,000 per
month more than those who had not.
And she found another thing-that
not graduate was q str Get 9ouugcr;
~ were employed, while & number of
nose who had Withdrawn were ''par-
entail parasites"
Some parents send their chil.lT en-
away to school from the eighth
'r ninth grade, building up others
owns and schools to the neglect Of
heir own. Yet we often he.sr these
anne parents advocate 'patr pnizing |
lome industries" The home school
caci,cs boys al gifls .'lat ,sctryl
reanc, how to render obedien &c and
low to study. Then isn't 1t but just
nd loyal that these pupils stay with
he home school till they have all
hat Is offered therein? It Is a:u At
epted fact that the real teaching Is
one in the public school. The col
egees get students who are alre ,ady
rained to study. In the high school
here Is more personal contact OF
eacher and pupils, and teachers are
My too glad to render pupils ass ist-
nee In solving their problems. L
The third waste, that Of failing In
romotion. must be remedied, and
urely all that Is necessary to cureI
his evil Is for parents to realize what
means to fail to pass grade. NO
hid can we'll AFFORD to take two
ears to do what can be done in ore,
astinE year. At the beginning Of
le session is the time to begin TO
lsure promotion. Now that theI
'hool is approved, coming more dk
'ctly State institution, the teach
9 must require the standard of pro-
:iency. Let parents point out tol Is
cir children the necessity Of rel
living to do their work faithfully | !
ID living up to the resolution. !
ONE study 10 absolutely necessary
r all pupils above the third grade.
Ugh school students need at least
. hours Ut home preparation. IfIy
~ don't get It, expect low grades. t