Milford chronicle., 1922-10-20
Truancy Reduced to
Minimum in Kent by
Visiting Teacher
Miss Thomas Works Out Successful
Plan For Encouraging Attendance.
APPRECIATES AID OF
SCHOOL AUXILIARY

SCHOOL AUXILIARY
How the visiting teacher of Kent
county has cut down truancy, interest
ed parents in their children's educa-
ton, made lessons" attractive to the
students and brought about a big
economic saving to the state treasury
through increased attendance is de-
scribed by Miss Leila A. Thomas, the
visiting teacher for the county in her
annual report made to the State Board
of Education. Incidentally, the work
Miss Thomas is accomplishing is be-
ing done by the visiting teachers OF
the other counties in the state, these
visiting teachers being made possible
through the foresight of the Delaware
School Auxiliary Association.
The visiting teacher, Miss Thomas
points out is the connecting link be-
tween the school and the home; the
school representative in the neighbOr-
hood and the neighborhood's represen-
tative in the school. She visits the
schools to understand the work and
the homes of the pupils needing assis-
tance, in order to establish a friendly
relation with the parents, to explain
any difficulties and to enlist their CO.
operation.
Truancy is the great problem which
the Visiting Teacher meets with ac-
cOrding to the Visiting Teachers re-
ports. Miss Thomas explains in detail
how tactfully she has to meet the
Carrying conditions of different com
Co. 10 a1TT
or girl of truancy to the dotlng mo-
ther is to at once arouse a feeling OF
antagonism on the part of the parent.
How to inform the parent of the defi-
cheney in attendance of the offspring
is the hardest and most delicate task.
That the plan, however, is succeed
ing is proven in figures from Miss
Thomas report. School attendance in
Kent was increased during the year,
1920, 22.2 per cent. In 1921 this was
81 per cent and the present
year 81 per cent or a total Of 81 per
cent in three years.
To bring about this accomplishment
it was necessary to interest the stu
dents. Teams were formed with cap
tains selected each week. These cap !
al touch thus given the contest. These
officials severely criti-
cized their chums if they remained
away from school without the parents
consent or a legitimate reason. To |
still further increase the interest one
week was selected as perfect attend
ance week.
Badges starting with a color were |
given as incentives a different color |
being added for each day the student
so that perfect attendance
students had a badge Of five colors at
he end of the week. The week had
disastrous start as it rained on Mon
lay. But despite this fact three
schools, Cedar Grove, Black Swamp
md Viola, (primary room) had 100 at
endance for the week. There were IA
,thers where the average was 95 per
ent and better, these being Harring-
on, special; Piney Grove, MarVels, I
Evansville, Woodside (primary room)
harrington, special, Bethesda, Viola
Harrington special grade
, Frederick grades II and IL, Laws,
Ices, Oak Point and Woodside
Then to interest the parents there
Jas a special week for the parents to
isit the schools and the results were =
othing short of magnificent. There
rere 270 visits from fathers, 719 from
lothers and there were total of 704
antilles represented.
During the year Miss Thomas has
lade 412 visits to schools and 428
CT IN Miss gfa |
nat the rewards to students for good
nd perfect attendance made possible
Y the Service Citizens has worked
-onders and has proved a great en- n
engagement to teachers and students.
arents are proud to tell that their i
Oy or girl was a 80 per cent boy or L
rl in attendance and are indignant e
ecause other parents did not send o
leir children and consequently the b
tendance record for the school was
wered because of the Indifference.
But the most important feature to S
le pocketbooks of Delawareans is q
spt for the last by Miss Thomas. She
lows that the average cost of in S
ruction per pupil per grade is $50. b
rdinarily a student attending the o
hool course passes a grade each s.
ar so that at the end Of eight years b
the elementary course the boy or D
ri has cost the state $3.50. Where the et
udent only attends part Of the time 81
takes two years sometimes three
ars to pass a grade, so that the cost ot
the state instead of being $3.50 is o.
Ore than 5000. G
For those who are complaining W
out high living costs and expenses 81
Is proof in dollars and cents of the d
1ney expended for education ought II
prove convincing enough.
di