Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1920-02-19
To the Readers Of the Register"

The fellow who wrote the school
notes last week was a mighty clever
chap. He was, however, just bit
inconsistent. His instrument of
attack properly belonged to remote
age, but his method was strictly
modern in that he camoufaged his
real identity under the signature OF
tsA Patron" He was justified in this.
When any man resorts to such un-
founded and malicious statements as
he did, he is fully warranted in keep
ing under cover.
First, he insinuated thst it would
be extremely difficult "to tell recess
from books.n AS he has never visit
ed school such statement will not
be given any weight by prRdent peo-
pie. Observation will convince any
reasonable man that the conduct is
equally as proper as it could be under
the circumstances. l, again, invite
him to visit. Secondly, he broadly
condemns the system used in detect
ing truancies and in keeping pupils
in the classroom. He does not
reason out his case. 1t is an easy
matter for teachers to know pupils
are absent, but it is extremely difficult
to know the absentees are playing
truant. We have no legal power to
compel attendance. That is a matter
for the attendance officer. l venture
the prediction that the writer of the
last weeks notes would make an
excellent truant officer. recon-
mend his services to the community.
MANY crimes have been mitted
in the Arcadia valley for months be-
fore the offenders were brought to
Justice. Yet the "patron" censures
both teachers and parents for their
failure to Immediately convict boys
who have played truant. He is un-
reasonable.
Thirdly, smoking on the school
premises has been prohibited for sew
eral months. After the pupils leave
the school premises, the regulation OF
smoking habits properly belongs to the
parents.
Fourthly, his criticisms on the
spelling done by boys who were ad-
vertising minstrel which was pre-
pared outside of school, and on stock
Judging were too absurd for serious
consideration. I, therefore, dismiss
these points without further comment.
His real attack was directed at the
rate of taxation and the public school
system. He hopes to bring the
school into disrepute to such an ex-
tent as to prevent future progress In
education. In the current number OF
The Worlds Work on page 32S is the
following statement: "The essence of
our democracy is universal and good
education" In my opinion the man
who opposes the public schools and
attempts to hinder educational pro-
gress by preventing an increase of
taxation for school purposes is
extremely dangerous to the demo-
cratic. principles upon which our
government is founded. He belongs
to bygone age. He no longer looks
to the future. His only hopes are
anchored in an indistinct past. Such
O man deserves social and economic
boycott by an intelligent munity.
The man who wrote the article last
week does not have the best interests
of the community at heart. There
are errors committed by every teacher.
No system or group Of individuals is
perfect I feel assured a comparison
with other schools will reveal the
truth that the Ironton school is as
well governed as the average school
of the state. The following quota
tion from Gilbert in "The School and
Its Life," page 81, contains my
opinion: sit becomes the chief duty
OF the executive authorities OF school
systems everywhere, first to secure
the best possible teachers, and then
to remove, in so far as possible, all
obstructions from their paths, tc
give them free scope and to aid them
in every conceivable way. All the
machinery of great school systems
local, state, and national, has for its
aim, properly, this one thing, tt
make it easier for the teachers tt
teach well.u
While the notes Of last week were
probably only the complaints Of al
old pessimist, they would tend tt
create an improper impression OF
the minds of those who do not know
them to be untrue.
Sincerely Yours,
W. A. BROOKsHIRE, Sup't.
lieH &