The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1921-02-12
REPORT Of STATE EXAMINER ON CONDITION
Of THE HIGH SCHOOLS IN JEFF. DAVIS PARISH

make possible proper concentra-
ton in the preparation of lessons,
etc. But, the frivolous, careless,
thoughtless attitude on the part of
children toward all duties, eSpec-
tally school duties, during and inn
Imediately following the war per-
iod is rapidly giving way to the
saner and more serious manner
in which children worked before
the unsettling influences of the
war set in. We are going back to
normally" in this matter, too.
4. This parish employs young
man to look after the physical
Training of the school children of
the parish. This work is being Vi
gorously pushed and intellisently
managed. All teachers, with very
few exceptions, take part in this
work. Their influence helps a
great deal in putting vigor and
life into this work, and, converse
ly or reciprocally, this work gives
life and vigor to teachers as we'll
as pupils. We saw several exhi-
billions of the physical training
work staged by boys and girls
The groups are made up of large
boys and small boys, separately;
older girls and younger girls, sep
arately. All teachers and pupils
seem to enjoy this work greatly,
and, even to the casual observer
it must be clear that all who en-
gage in it are being greatly bene-
flied by it,
5. Satisfactory and encouraging
though we found the conditions
above mentioned, we could not be
guilty of suggesting that perfec-
ton has yet been reached in mat
tiers of education in this parish.
There is yet much more to be ac-
compliShed, both in a material
and in a spiritual way. But so
vast is the improvement already
brought along material lines, we
shall offer few recommended
tions that have to do merely with
the administration and teaching
side of the question. And, while
all administrators and teachers in
this parish may not need to be re-
minded of these things, or, at
least, not in the same degree, still,
for the sake of brevity, we offer
the suggestions in blanket form,
feeling that those who need them
will avail themselves of them, and
those who do not will in no way
be injured for having read them:
1. School discipline is always
better when principals and teach
ers require all school children to
be at school promptly at the time
fixed by the school authorities for
the opening of school.
/ z. No teacher should be guilty
of setting wrong example to the
children by herself being late in
reporting for duty.
i 3. Principals cannot be too vigi-
liant in the matter of supervising
the whole work of the whole
school. This is one of the most i'm
portant duties that principals are
Expected to perform, and, by all
means this is something without
which no school can reach its
maximum degree of effectiveness.
i 4. From five to ten sets of sup
Elementary readers should be
read every year by every grade
below high school. Wisdom
should be used in selecting prop
er reading material for these
children. The grade of the books
used for general reading purposes
should not be predicated upon the
grade in which the child finds
himself, but rather upon his
knowledge of English. Reach the
child with material suited to his
strength and appealing to his in
terest, and in due time, he will
show greater intellectual streng-
tn, reaching out for more difficult
material, and, incidentally, he will
then take greater interest in his
; school studies because, and only
because, he has improved bis men
tai condition to the point where he
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