The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-09-03
FOR NEEDED REFORMS
HARMFUL EFFECTS OF POOR
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.
John j. McMahan Discusses Vital
Question and Gives Reasons for
Compulsory Education.

Compulsory Education.
| The enlightened mind revolts at
the idea of ignorant parents compell-
ing their children to remain in igno-
rance without availing themselves Of
the schooling offered free by the
State within the reach of every home.
Add to those that never go to school
the large number that attend irregu-
larly, and we probably have half of
the children falling to make proper
| use Of the facilities provided for their
education. Let US consider the mean
| ing Of it all, as il we were explaining
to the simplest mind thai does no:
see the evil.
The child is not his own master,
but is subject to his parent. Left to
himself, the child will be ignorant
and undeveloped. He will not have
a compelling desire for knowledge,
and will not apply himself to learn,
| until he is made to taste a sample
and perceive that it is good-acQuire
an appetite for learning, Meantime,
unless made to go to school he may
prefer to idle at home.
Primitive Tribal Education.
In state Of primitive nature, with
! no law but the individual will (if
| there ever was such an indiyidualistic
stage Of mans progress) 1t rests
wholly with the parent to compel
either ignorance or learning, and we
can not doubt that the instinct Of
Misrepresentation secured for the
child instruction In the essentials Of
well-being according to the then
standards-just as in the animal
creation the parent teaches its Off
spring how to obtain food and how
to escape from it's enemies. But in
the earliest known times, there is
some sort OF custom which none
would defy and which is thus the
cummounity or common law. This
customary law has from the begin
ming prescribed the education which
is the requisite Of the times. Thus
among savages in tribal relations,
the~parent never neglects, and would
not be allowed to omit, to give his
son the standard training for the
chase and for war-the great duties
Of citizenship at such a period OF
human society.
Difficulties Of Modern Discipline.
In modern times, with the higher
developments in the main, there is a
strange decadepce constantly maRi-
Testing itself. There is more parental
neglect, relatively, than among saw
ages, and in the more artificial train
ing of the schools to fit for new con-
ditions OF mans life, there is more
difficulty in keeping alive in the child
a zest for learning. Thus even after
his taste is somewhat aroused and he
has formed the general purpose to
learn, he will have his periods of
sloth, Of reaction, of revolution
against the labor Of application,
against regularity, against system,
against obedience-the very things
that he needs to become Injured to.
II allowed to have his own way as his
fancy changes, he will attend irregu-
larly, will loiter and be tardy. His
latepesses and absences will suffice
to destroy the effectiveness of his
studying, the connecting links of his
learning being lost. When present
he will be inattentive to instruction,
negleetful OF the assigned tasks, will
not be seriously in earnest, will not
view his obligation to get an educa-
ton as a closed question, and will
therefore dwadle and fritter away his
time. If allowed to acquire such
habits, he will be injuring instead OF
building up his character, and will
be lessening instead Of increasing his
future usefulness. A large part of
the benefit OF true schooling is the
acquiring OF correct and useful habits
under compulsion-such as the habit
Of regularity, of system, of obedience,
Of self-control, of diligence, OF stead
fastness, OF ability to dc unpleasant
things, and at last the ability to find
pleasure in doing duties whether or
not inherently unpleasant. This mod
ification Of natural desires to recog-
nized duties has come to be best de-
scribed by a term derived from the
classical name for the pupil IL school,
the ideal OF ali schooling being the
resultant "discipline', the mental
and moral acquisition Of the true dis
ciple or pupil.
Regular Attendance.
II the child goes to school spas
medically, he will have more friction
with the teacher than otherwise, for
he will not be as well up In his stud
les, or as well trained to applying
himself, or as accustomed to obey,
and thus he will have to be the more
controlled, punished if need be, and
as a result Of the corrections or pun
ishments he will be angered and have
further disposition to vent his resent
ment by staying away at will or alto
gether. Poor attendance breeds worse
attendance. Irregular attendance
ends in non-attendance. If the par
ent INDUCES him, let him be his own
master, spoils him, he will do poor
work at school or will stay away.
Such is often the INDUCED child Of
parents who should know better and
do better, and not very different in
the misfortune of the neglected child