Newark post., 1915-03-03
PARENTS-TEACH-
ERS MEET
Question of Attendance Dis
Cussed

Inc Parent-Teachers Associa-
ton, which met in Room Seven.
Newark Grammar School, last
Thursday afternoon, was attended
by many mothers of the community.
Mrs. &. .. Houghton, the president,
presided. Professor Rich, of the
Women s College, in her discussion
OF Attendance from the standpoint
OF the State, quoted largely from
the bulletin issued by DR.. Wagner,
relative to the subject, in which
rural attendance is shown to be dis
couragingly low throughout the
State. Miss Rich also exhibited
chart which illustrated very forci-
bly, the value Of school attendance
to the boy or girl, when he or she
later becomes wage-earner. The
chart was based upon an investiga-
ton made among 799 workers in the
factories of Massachusetts. Red and
black lines represented the proper
tlonate wages received by those who
had left school at fourteen and six
teen, respectively, with a startling
advance in the latter instance.
Mrs. W. II. Cook urged upon the
parents the necessity Of standing
firmly against the formation of
careless habit in regard to attend
ance. Many of the little ailments
which develop in the early morning
about school time, the speaker de-
clared, are nine-tenths imaginary.
A ten-minute walk in the crisp
morning air makes them a thing of
the past before the school yard is
reached.
Principal R. F. Friedel, in dis
cussing attendance from the stand
point of the teacher, declared the
percent of efficiency in a school
cannot exceed the percent. of at
tendance. Indeed attendance as the
basic factor is the life of a school.
The cost of maintaining a school is
the same with a small attendance
as though it were a hundred per-
cent; attendance affects the pu-
pills progress; it affects his promo
ton. From the teachers stand
point, only those whom she can
honestly recommend for advance
work, can be promoted, although
she knows her rating as teacher
largely depends upon the percent
of her class which she promotes.
The speaker ikened poor school
attendance to a disease which mani
tests itself in two forms: first, in
long absences, and second in inter-
vals-a day at a time. Of the two
forms, the latter, Mr.. Friedel de-
clared, far more fatal. The problem
of attendance, the speaker believes,
is not vital in Newark. Figures
representing the average of attend
ance were given as follows:
First grade, 83; second, Sc;
third, 81; primary overflow, S5;
fourth 90; fifth, 90; sixth, 90.3;
seventh, 90; eighth, 91.6; eighth
overflow, sc. The Board of Educa-
tion at its last meeting took action
to fit up with single desks an up
stairs room in the grammar school
building, because of the crowded
condition Of these grades. The at
tendance, I believe, Mr. Friedel
said, does credit to both the school
and the community.
An informal discussion upon the
subject Of tardiness followed. About
six percent Of the pupils in the
grammar grades arrive late. AL
though an attendance Of one hun
dred percent seems improbable, it
wuld seem it might be possible to
obtain in the matter of promptness,
a record of 100 percent. The share
of responsibility belonging to both
parent and teaching, together with
the various methods that might be
employed, was freely discussed.
The secretary of the meeting was
instructed to write in behalf Of the
association, urging that the Board
of Education connect the school
buildings with the new sewer, at
the earliest possible time. A social
hour followed during which light
refreshments were served.
At the next meeting, to be held
in the College Oratory, on March
25, at eight P. NJ, Rev. W. Cort-
land Robinson, LII. D., Of North
minister Presbyterian Church, Phil
adelphia, will make an address.