Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1923-12-21
school Attendance.

From time TO time ono bears criti-
cisms OF the public schools. This is as
il should be. Any institution for which
public funds are expended and the CHI
cheney OF which is so vital TO the sue
cess OF the future citizens OF the State,
should have the benefit of the intelli-
gent and constructive criticism of the
people most concerned.
The editors of the local papers have
granted us the use Of space for pub
fishing school news and other articles
concerning the schools.
As poor attendance is probably the
greatest weakness OF our county sys-
tenn, we are virg printed first an ar
ticle by William J. Holloway, de-
signed to answer the critlcism-''CoNl-
pULsoRY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE UN-
DEMOCRATIC AND AN lNrERFERENCE
WITH PERSONAL RIGHTS
ions who believes in free democrat.
ic institutions must. to be consistent,
favor compulsory school attendance.
The American ideal suggests that every
individual should have an opportnni-
ty for making the most OF himsef. No
one who claims to be loyal American
can deny this. The uneducaied are de-
prived Of this opportunity and. through
Ignorance and inefiiciency, are ham
pered in all their undertakings Hit
eracy is not only serious bar to
good citizenship, but 1t is an obstacle
TO the industrial aud agricultural adj
vanceinent Of nation.
Every child is entitled 10 common
school education II Is unfair 10 tax
a man to educate his neighbours child
and then permit the neighbor to
keep that child out of school. The
taxpayer has right to expect that his
money shall be economically spent. II
costs as much to maintain a school
with poor attendance as il does to run
a school whose pupils attend regularly.
Every child whJ absents himself from
school without lawful excuse is inter
fering with the orderly progress Of the
school. retarding the other children in
their work, and causing waste of the
Taxpayers money. II
There Is a broader aspect TO the
question. In Republic such as ours,
where every citizen Is sovereign in his
own right, education is OF paramount
importance to all the people, for upon
the diffusion OF knowledge depends the
tutious are good or bad according to-
the quality Of the people from whom
they draw their power. No stream
can ascend above its source. If the
people receive sound education, they
can be trusted with the destinies OF
their country.
Popular education is, therefore, an
absolute necessity in a democracy
The preservation and development of
our sorm of government depends on
popular education. Patriotism and
good schools are inseperable in this
country. There can be no good schools
without good attendance, and good at.
tendance cannot be had II the selfish
interests OF ignorant or indifferent pa
rents are allowed to deprive children OF
their inherent right to go to school.
The Cyclopedia of Education lVol.
l, page 1881 says The right of So
ciety lacting through the State) to COM
pei certain amount OF attendance at
school has long been questioned; and
in recent years 1t has become custom
airy TO insist also on minimum stand
ard Of educational proficiency being
realized as n condition for leaving
school. In America the recent activi
ty in legislation relating to compul-
sorry education has not come so much
from educators as from the leading
voluntary movements for the physical,
moral, and intellectual welfare OF
children. Those movements have
sought the fuller protection of child
hood in general, and compulsory edh-
cation has been but one OF the main
features. ~