Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-07
BEGIN CAMPAIGN FOR
BETTER ATTENDANCE
IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Conducted by the Service Citizens
of Delaware, Who Will
Provide Premiums.
INDIVIDUAL CARDS
AND STATE FLAGS

A Statewide campaign for 'bettc
attendance in Delaware schools" adoptct
Ms feature Of the years program at thu
last meeting Of the State Board of Educa
ton. was announced tods.y in lette
Ito tho tessrhcrs of Delaware The gen
,ral plan includes two series Of indIvidua
award cards for children making perfect
and good" attendance records ano
Delaware State flags in varying sizes
Rs marks of recognition tn schools making
certain group records The individual
award cards, especially designed for thu
children Of Delaware, viii convey auto
graphed congratulatory e,cctlnC from
prominent men and women OF this State
and the nation. The flags, uado on specia
order, carefully designed according tc
description furnished by the State De
Iartmcnt, will bc suitable kor school-room
decorstion.
Aside from the irrepar>blc loss which
irregular school attendance epescnts
In the life of every child no one thinp
contributes more largely to the low rank
accorded the State in all educational
ratings The attendance campaign AZ
planned will afford an opportunity 70,
every Delawarean. without the expenditure
of one cent, To bear his share IN increasing
the efficiency and at the same time the
rating of the State school system The
campaign is being conducted for the
State by the Service Citizens of Dela-
war;. The letter to tho teachers follows
Friends of Delaware children have
asked VA to make it easier for you 10
interest the pupils and their parents in a
campaign for better attendance In Dela-
warc schools.
Yours is the most important task a
democratic people ever presumed to do.
The obligation you assume Of drawing
the children together daily for nine
months. trimming them in methods and
habits Of thinking and acting and advanc-
ing them in their studies grade each wear
is the heaviest duty assumed among
us. And not the least difficult part Of il =
Ia get the children in school and 10 krcp
them IN regular attendance.
"In this task Delaware has not aIvru
succecded as well as her best friends think
she might sucoccd. Accounting b records
m Washington, Delaware's rxnk axnonr
the States, IN schools and schooling.
WAS 35th in 1918. In thc parcentare 81
children Of school Age who were in daiy
Attendance DclsYNc was only lIst nrt
of the 4s States y that year. Il = m The
average daily attendance Of her re,,,;l.
AnA if'stVNN tuNAVT tHI fVWVs<1 rAnkYnV
among the States, and il is here .hc ear
most readily correct herself.
According to Leonard p. Avrsx crr
leading statistic,an of the var ner,od
the United States averages only S pr
cent osst Of possible 100 IN daily attend
apse Il pupb Of school ase. nbc ~
StAta, Montana, Avwaecs IS rnr c,,nt
DolAwazr's sycragc = IS per cent a
points hcaov Montana and III po;nt. he,ov,
The average for the nation. Our d.;Iv
nvcrage atsendAnce In 1918 vns the can.
- hat for the cntirc nation h 1904 xs -
ernt IN daily attendance At school Nj
v~zr vas tbordore, in 1918 II potnt. -
low tte avcrngc and - ycars behind ~.
nation N this most vital factor n ejr..
ton. She must catch up.
School Attendance in DrAv,,r ,,,,.-
ono long step forward The nnst vuar
The average number of davs at.enJaJ
by each pupil enrolled m rural DrJ,-n.
IN i9l7-lS WIS e2 and in Ia1s-1o ne e
only 90; but In 1890 ~. 80
her WAS lis, gain over ror7Js ~ sss
school days IN attendance for e.-b o.. -
5000 puplk enrolled m the Stat. -. -
side Of Wilmington. Ths h.~d oa-