Milford chronicle., 1921-12-09
AN OPEN LETTER
TO ALL PARENTS
Bv H. V. Holloway, Superinten-
dent of Delaware Schools.

"Bill," said Captain III IHe A"'0
war. to a fine outstanding young man
inst recruited into his company,
"Whv didn't you learn to read ana
writer" 81 don't know, Captain, SAID
Bill. "but 1 suppose it was because
7 never had a chance" This incident
actually happened during the laIe
war and it is sad commentary upon
what we have thought to be lana
of equal opportunity.
We probably do not reallze tnas
right here in Delaware, one out Ol
every twenty of our total adult pop
niation admitted inability to read ana
write at the 1920 census. One out OF
every four men drafted for the army
couId not read we'll enough to read
a newspaper or write well enough TO
write letter.
When the American Federation OF
Labor. the greatest organized Dooy OIL
working men in the world, is urging
a high school education for every
how and girl that they may be pre-
nared for promotion" it seems tar
cry to drop back to program IhdC
looks to the teaching of simply reau-
ing and writing, but the latter is Ihe
real national interest in the subject
of Education and large part OF our
State interest as well.
Time makes adults Of children.
Childhood is the time for getting the
elements of an education. The schools
are the recognized means to this eno'
The State has faith in the means pro-
vided. as shown by the support given
tn public education. The State also
believes in the necessity. 1t has VIII
fen into it's fundamental law that mo
person who shall attain the age of 2l
wears after the first of January 19OO'
shall have the right to vote, unless ne
shall be able to read this Constitu-
ton in the English language and TO
write his name"
Where have the 8,159 illiterates in
Delaware come from? 1857 were born
abroad. but 2,427 whites and 1856 ne
groes we ourselves have raised in our
own midst in our generation, and TINS
in spite of our free public schools
which have been in every community
for half a century, and more.
Last year one out of every four
children enrolled in school was out OF
school on the average of every day IN
the year. If all the absence had peen
limited to the same children, that
would mean that over 5000 children
outside of Wilmington would have
been deprived of all educational op-
nOrtunity. It does mean that owing
to absence our schools are able TO
accomplish only three-fourths OF
their possibilities.
If the State should say to the far
mers of Delaware, "You are hereDy
forbidden to send your children TO
school more than rs days out OF every
100 school days." every farmer IN
the State would rise in protest at
such discrimination and injustice, ana
everyone else would stand with them'
vet for one reason or another the
parents of the State are snatcnlng
from their children opportunities
which they would shoulder their guns
to prevent anyone else's taking from
them.
MANY parents have not been in
school in session since they left
school. All their information as to
what goes on in school is second
hand. This should not be. The schools
belong to the people. They will be
lust as good as the people desire, or
lust as poor as the people will toler-
ate, but the people should know nrst-
hand what they are doing.
"Visit the School Week" is a Time
specially set apart to give every par
ent or other interested person an op-
portunity to see the schools at work.
The regular work will be done. This
is newer to parents than formal en-
tertainments in which the children
take part. Go to learn; go to make
YOUR school a better school, and thus
help to make your country better
country