The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1915-07-02
To THE CIrIzENs OF DISTRICT IA

~ THE ClTlLENS OF DISThlCT IA
want to make an appeal to you in
the behalf of our schools, thru our
county paper, Kind friends and es-
pecially fathers and mothers, have you
ever thought about the little interest
that is manifested in regard to our
schools? There are so many ways to
show our interests now since schools
have closed, have you made an inven-
tory of your child's work? Do you
feel that those 1870 days were we'll spent?
Or can you see that there were lost OPP
portunities which can never be recall
ed. Now some may blame the teacher.
Of course mistakes are made by the
best and most thorough teachers, but
let me ask every parent one question.
Is it not fact that every school room
Eis over crowded? Can you risk your
chlld's health in this way? Can you be
content to let your child contract a
disease which may 60 with it to its
grave and wreck it's future? Do you
think your child can learn as much
when hampered thus? want to speak
in behalf Of the poor, over worked
teacher. We will suppose you are the
teacher, you are in a small, poorly ven.
tilated and overcrowded room, with
from rs to 50 pupils and stove which
takes careful attention to keep the
room warm. You have so many classes
to hear that sometimes you barely have
over five minutes for each class. Then
too you must keep Johnny from step
ping on Sallie's toe, and numerous
other things to take up your time,
Then comes in protests from parents
who want their child treated just a
little better than the others. Now this
is not all some have to do. Are you
tired? Yes know you are. | have
heard parents say who were blessed
with bright jewels 81 am glad when
school opens because ! can get rid of
these noisy children" They have
only three or FOUR Yet these same
parents are ready to find fault with the
teacher who probably has fifty Of
these noisy children. Is that justice!
do not find so much fault with the
children for being noisy and, you would
not either, kind readers, if you were
packed in small over-crowded and
poorly ventilated room. They are
noisy, restless and inattentive on &C.
count of these conditions more thar
any other. will venture to say thai
a small per cent Of the people of any
community known very little about thu
condition of the house. where the great
est blessing GCd ever bestowed upor
the home, spends more of its waking
hours. The majority do not know any
thing. The school problem should bt
the first and most vital of all the pro.
blems which eonfronts man. Why?
Because there your chiId's character is
being nodded, its future is being mark.
ed out, and habits are being formed
which will probably never be broken.
Your child's environment is quite
different, than at home. Why it is a
fact that some of the school yards are
just an old field, some are too small to
meet the needs of the pupil, all the
pupils are turned out together, this
should not be. there should be separate
grounds for girls and the little tots
should have a separate yard. Let me
offer one solution to this very grave
problem. Send every child over the
fifth grade TO a centrally located
school. One teacher can give every
sixth grade pupil in this district more
attention, If they are all in one school,
than teacher who has all the grades.
After passing the fifth grade, there is
not very many in the other grades. If
you would try this plan dear patrons
you will find that your smaller children
learn more, and know these older
boys and girls will take more interest
and learn more. The standard Of our
schools never will be raised as it should,
althO We may require the teacher to be
thoroly prepared, tbut do not think