The Parisian. (Paris, Tenn.) 1907-1962, 1919-06-20
RURAL CHILDREN
AT DISADVANTAGE
City School Teacher Points Out That
Six Months Term Is Consider.
able Handicap.

able Handicap.
In connection with an editorial in
The Partisan last week, concerning
increasing the rural school term from
to 8 months, city teacher submits
the following for consideration:
A child is entitled to an education
above anything else. Only a mental
weakling would argue that the lack
Of an education is no handicap. 1t
is therefore the duty of every parent,
of every citizen, to give the child the
best education that it is within their
power to give. : This is the child's
right. To deny this is failing to
fulfill righteous duty.
Six months school term for the
rural child does not guarantee that
child the best education that it is
within the power of the parents and
citizens to provide. A child cannot
make grade in six months time. 1t
is too short a time for the completion
of any text book because the text
books are planned and written for
an entire school term which properly
consists of an eight months term.
A shorter term for the rural school
therefore greatly hinders the regular
ity of the school work, and any edu-
Gator or one in the least familiar with
educational methods will vouch that
it is the regularity, the constant "hit-
ting the nail on the head" day by day
that gains the best results. Compare
this child who is regular in attend
ance at school with the one who is
absent frequently and note the differ
ence in the class work of each, the
interest the former youngster takes
in his work and then say that it is
ever right or advisable to deprive any
child of one single day of school.
The two months shorter school
term for the rural child than the city
child is given, puts the rural child at
a great disadvantage to begin with,
and means for the rural pupil'in most
cases two or more years of school
than the city pupil or total loss of
an average Of two years of schooling
that is his wright and that he should
certainly not be deprived of. This
is an estimation based on the eight
years required to complete the pri-
mary schools.
Time is most valuable and i'm
portant consideration in this speed
age. Two years may mean great
deal in the life of youth and it does
not seem hardly fair to handicap him
by a deprivation of such length Of
time from taking his place in the
world where every day he will come
in contact with, will match his wits
with, will live and mayhap struggle
with, the boy who has enjoyed an 8
months school term because his father
happened to live in the city.
| Is there any earthly reason why the
rural child should not receive the
same chance, the same opportunity,
is the city child? None whatsoever,
except that Paris votes annually, ap-
proximately $4,000 of it's city tax to
furnish the town children with 2 ex-
ira months of school, and now gets
extra consideration from the state
because of the first being set aside
as special district. That is the
sole and only reason why he city
schools continue in session for two
months longer than the county
schools.
And it has been estimated that a
fifteen cent increase in the school
tax will give the country children an
eight months school. 1t would seem
that nothing further should be said
to convince those who have the juris-
diction of such affairs in charge that
they owe it to the rural boys and
girls of Henry county to grant them
what is theirs by rights, an eight
months school term. Fifteen cents
so little, and yet SO very, very much
An even chance with the best of them,
the knowledge that the opportunity
of he bes is his for the asking.
These country boys and girls God
bless them! Some of them trudging
FIVE or six miles, often through Stud
gy mud, to the school house. Fine,
splendid, thoroughbred youngsters
they! of the stuff of presidents and
statesmen. Give them the best we
have. To them belongs an eight
months term.