Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1921-07-16
SATURDAY. JULY 16. 1921.
NEGLECTED Opportunities
FOR EDUCATION

III lbiih 49, = -iilNNN
States Commissioner OF Educa-
ton, in addressing the National
Education Association the other
day declared that there are more
than 100000 children. OF reason
able school age, in the United
States who are not enrolled in any
school. Presumably the commits
sioner, with the facts and figures
available for his reference. knows
what he is talking about That
seems To be a large number OF
boys and girls ont of school who
ought to be in school-a prodig-
iously enormous proportion of
American children receiving no
training for future citizenship.
The argument in favor OF eduea-
ton OF the coming citizens-and
now the women as we'll as the
men will be in full possession of
the rights and liable for the same
responsibilities as the men--need
not be recountcd and re-emphas-
sized
The pertinent inquiry is What
can be done about this condi-
'tion :" The law-making bodies
of the several states have in a
measure undertaken to provide
the answer by enacting compul-
sorry education laws and in re-
Vising the statutes in other ways
with the same end in view. 1t is
self-evident. however. that there
IS much more TO be done before
the desired results can be obtain
ed. 1t is not alone sufficient to
provide comfortable quarters for
the school children and the teach
ers-as vitality important as this
is-but 4 better, stronger force
for teaching must be provided by
awarding adequate compensation
Tor the teachers and giving them
the recognition and encourage
ment they SO Justly deserve. This
brings us To the point that the
people themselves must manifest
an interest in the schools. for the
law-making bodies simply reflect
public sentiment and are strongly
for the cause of education in pro-
portion as the people who elect
them are strongly for it.
There is in force in Anne Arun-
del county, as in other counties
OF the State. a compulsory edu-
cation law. which is all too often
honored in the breach. for the
school officials report that in a
majority OF cases where the at
tendance inVokeS the law, a con-
viCtion is found to be impossible
This is Statewide law, passed
III 1914, and was the product OF
experts and those deeply inter
eSted in the cause of education as
applied locally. There is. there
fore. much 10 be done in a sys-
tematic way TO encourage people
to take full advantage of the op-
portunities offered.
However. the real answer to
the inquiry above made is not to
be found in the halls of legisla-
ton and with the lawmakers.
The root OF the trouble. educa-
tors seem to agree. is in the homes
and with the parents. The par
ent who earnestly covetS for his
children an education always
finds way to get his child to
school. Thousands of parents do
sacrifice and make real denials
that their children may have the
opportunities of training.
The compulsory law we'll en-
forced will do much. But that
will not inspire the best spirit or
desire on the part of the parents
to cooperate with the state in
the education OF their children.
the states future citizens. What
is primarily needed is education
among the parents, education that