Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1916-08-01
Peoples Column
AN APPRECIATION.

TO The Editor OF THE EVENING
JOURNAL:
Sir.-win you please accept my
sincere thanks for the recent editor
ials about the Rural Schools. Your
citations from the addresses by DR.
J. l.. McBrien. Of the United States
Bureau Of Education. should help to
emphasize the unpromising results
that have been found in Delaware
Schools
The worst conditions cited by your
editorial were In the South Central
States, where the average attendance
per child per year is 65 days in the
North Central States, where the Rv-
erage attendance per child is 100
school days per year; in the Western
States. the average daily attendance
per year per child is 101.5 school
days II is probably true that DR.. Nc
Brien used what seemed to him the
worst conditions TO be found. and
they are undoubtedly bad. Any av-
erage attendance per child is I'M
satisfactory II II falls below SO or
80 per cent Of the days that the
schools are open. In the worst OF the
three cases mentioned. that Of the
South Central States. the per
centage would he a little over So
as the schools were open 1176 days
A 55 per cent. attendance means a A.
percent loss. or worse than As
percent. loss OF money and efficiency
A man in business of any kind viii DC
/ in bankruptcy In two years OF that
kind OF operation. Yet schools keel
on year after year, yielding returns
OF that kind. and few people seem Il
feel disturbed or show much concern
about II.
In 1914 a pamphlet entitled Pub
lie School Attendance Of Delaware
School Children" was prepared, sem
to all our newspapers. and TO many
prominent citizens. The facts which
Il set before the citizens Of the STATE
did not excite as much attention as
you have given to Dr. McBrien's ad
dresses. except in one or two papers
Yet those facts are worse for oul
State than are the facts stated by Or
McBrien In that pamphlet u Is
shown from figures taken from IN,
Teachers Annual Reports for 1912
1913. that in that school year average
attendance were as follows:
New Castle County. rural schools
SO per cent. town schools, 70 pei
cent,
Kent County. rural schools, SO pei
cent, town schools, 20 per cent
Sussex County. rural schools. s.
per cent town schools. 20 per cent
Your editorial. by calling attention
to DR.. McBrien's figures must cause
our citizens. il they recall the state
ments made in the pamphlet and II
many public addresses. realize tina
conditions in Delaware do really de
f, mand serious attention and thought
/. ful reflection. The condition demand
correction. That has been admitted
except by few persons who den
4 the facts in a spirit of wanton stub
h bornness. I trust. therefore that you
. renewal Of attention to the matte
n will make more Of our parents an
patrons take an interest in the prot
lem The best effort OF all good eli
Is liens are needed TO correct the cond
q ton. Not one. but a number q
u changes are needed TO start the col
e rection I'm the pamphlet mentione
the entire question has been full
: discussed One thought needs state
ment and reiteration so often that
risk its repetition here; there mus
be a higher estimate OF the value o
an edscation to help each life 4
reach its full and complete express
sion. there mus; be more steadfas
determination to send children Z
u school regularly for the entire tern
there must be tie belief that this
moral obligation upon the paren
upon the child. and upon the com
munity No other conception of tn
matter can bring results or hold on
people TO a steady effort No transfer
belief in advantages Of an educS
= ton can beget the steadfast endeavc
? and the spirit Of self-sacrifice whic
2 are needed to make school attendanC
J bv children what yourself. what ID
I McBrien and what every understand
e ing man or woman believe il Is N