Evening journal., 1921-03-12

lowest in New Castle county; Milford
in Kent. and Laurel in Sussex. In
general, tho percentage OF absence in
the special districts Of Kent county
is larger than in the special districts
Of either New Castle or Sussex.
Causes OF Absence.
The chief causes OF ebsence are
% illness" CD agricultural
work" (3) other work" (4) Iate
enrolment" 90 parental indiffer-
ence" and 90 "out Of town." and in
general the order In which they are
here named is the order OF their i'm
portance.
However. these causes operate diff
ferently at different periods Of the
year and IN different divisions OF the
State. Agricultural work was most
important in the rural districts of
Kent and Sussex counties in Septem-
ber and October. and was the first
cause Of absence in Laurel in the
month of October. But in November.
agricultural work" dropped to Sec
ond place among the causes OF alb
sonce In Kent and Sussex counties,
and TO fifth place in December.
"Other work" usually holds sec
ond. third or fourth among the ope-
rating causes for absence. The num-
ber Of absences occasioned by "other
work" has increased from 1907 in
! September to 9519 in December.
/ This increase Is in direct contrast
with the record Of absences for
agricultural work" which num-
bered 26.032 in September. and 3479
J In December.
As an operating cause OF absence.
agricultural work" showed itself
most strongly in the rural districts
OF Sussex county. 1t alone occasioned
in Sussex county an absence percent
age OF .1763 in September. The next
highest percentage OF this cause is
1904 in Kent county for the same
month.
In the special school districts,
agricultural work" is seldom over
3 per cent. and usually very much
under that. but Il is interesting to
note that in Laurel in the month OF
October agricultural work" occa-
stoned an absence percentage OF
.O476.
The absences occasioning this per.
centage were made by colored boys
) and colored girls. who were appa-
, rently working in the sweet potato
fields about Laurel. In the month OF
October. the days thus lost wer,
.2145 Of the total number OF days OF
, school for the colored boys, and 1885,
OF the total number Of days Of schoo
B Tor the colored girls.
The colored boys and girls OF Lau
rel make a similar bad record foi
, the month Of September. but be
Z cause Of late enrolment. The mum
e Der OF days lost by agriculture
s work" in October is 514, and tn
number OF days lost by a smila
r number Of pupils by reason Of lat
n enrolment in September is 400 days
n Like agricultural work" "lat
i enrolment" operated heavily in tn
first month Of the year and IA
- fallen 10 almost nothing in Decem
b Der. The number Of days lost be
,. cause OF late enrolment was Ills
5. in September. 1850 in October. 162
e in November, and only SO in Decem
g Der.
= Three causes operating at all time
y and in all sections OF the State an
e illness" parental indifference" an
= "out OF town" Illness as a cause
a absence Affects more individual pi
+ pills and. during the year. will occs
P; sion more absent days than an
"A other single cause II Is interestir
TO note that Il does not keep th
10 pupil out OF school as long on n
p average as does agricultural work
g "other work" "late enrolment {
ie parental indifference" The averaE