Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-05-06
TARDy STUDENTS AN
EXPENSE TO THE STATE
Interesting Observations Re-
garding Effects Of Irregular
Attendance.

noVcs, May 6.--School teachers and
pupils throughout tho state arc max
ing plans Tor tho mai examinations
that viii bc held tho latter part OF
this month. Just prior 70 the closing
Of the schools. About 10000 children
and several hundred teachers are con-
t~rn~d In the preparations. All schools
having terms Of nine months Will close
on May 81. A few schools In Kent
and Suascx counties have already
closes. after being In session 100 days.
New csetle county schools viii be In
session iso days or more.
Interesting observations regarding
the effects OF non attendance on the
state have been made by II. r.. Stshl.
dir~ctor of research of the State De-
partmcnt OF Public Instruction. The
most important benefit that Della
wsrc could receive. ho believes, would
come through tho regular attendance
of pupils because n this was the case
practically cvcry child would be pro-
mutsSi at tho end of the term and the
state would be saved the Immense eN-
ponditurva that rro made every year
IN paying tho expenses ci children
who must gn through the satrc grades
over and over.
Irregular attendance. Il has been
discovered. IL the cause NJ most fail
urcs In the examinations at the end
NJ tho term. Some percentage OF the
number who fail n caused by bad
home conditions. mental deficiency
lark ~ usc ~ English speech. mental
hackwardncss. lack of application. un.
sF,atsl ls.tx ~ al
cal dcfcc,s. iilncss. etc, hut the great
est percentage by far ~ caused by
irregular attendance.
Ono-thiri OF the cases of failures n
cr-lifc. u has been found. have
boon duc tp poor attendance az school
Tho average number of days attend
cd hy boys and girls who have fail
"a To- be advanced ono grade stands N
- n IL evident. Mr. Stahi POINTS out
and parents should realize H. this
children who attend only - DAYS b.
tho year. no matter how mentally e.
ficicnt they may he. cannot Comp.l'
with tho childreh who attend $50 a.
$50 DAYS In the year. Tho normal pa
ptl completes tho elementary sChoo
course In eight years. ~ tho rate o
5i DAYS attendance per school year {
viii take child Is or 10 years Z,
complete tho course. Rather than Il
this girl or boy II usually oontcn
to quit" and 30 through life will
the disadvantnro ,f poor education
always bctorc them.
Las, wear. 81 has been estimated
each elementary pupil coat the stat
$50 whom pupil spends two year
IN me same erade ~ costs tho stat
for th', p.Yl approximately 500 10
ono yrars work This year there are
Rs a result ~ failures ir promotion a
the close ~ the last schoo, year. IS
vases IN the colorcd schools outside O
Wilmington. These 'repesters" COS
tho state on tho years basis over SIS.
GOO extra % cdwcate them. The 400
cobcrcd pupite plus the whites who ar
repeating their grades coutribut
their additional thousands IN costs {
maintnin schools for them.
Schcol Attendance. according 20 Nj
stahl. IN matter 10 greatest ;n
Vortance financially 90 the taxpayer
Of Delaware. u costs tho state 10
much money. he points out. 10 kee
school or-en for maximum group Z
chndren and allow only minimum
attendance IN school Any com
munity IN Delaware" Mr.. Stahl say
'N,aa have just az good attendance a
the community wants them 20 hay
and viii support u II q question ,
doVcloring community consciousness
Cor better attendance. Tho Parent
Teacher Associations have been q
cusing attention on school attendance