Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-01-15
Problems Of Keeping School
attendance Up Present Many
Odd Experiences, Cook Finds
Continued from Page One)

view that it takes one who has had
experience with children of his own to
be able accurately to translate many
Oh the situations with which he is
confronted. He recalls that it is
helpful to hold in mind those words
OF I Corinthians KILL which says,
when I was a child I spake as
child, I understood as child 1
that in mind as he endeavors to solve
the child's problem it will often prove
helpful in finding the road of attack
to get the child interested in those
things that will promote its interests
Cook believes there is world OF
truth in that old aphorism that has
colne down all the way from Plu-
tarch, 1.-THE widest colts make the
best horses" and he says that those
VINO get frightened because a BOY sr
a girl appears a bit wild at times is
losing sight of the fact that probaoly
the apparent wildness is just little
extra force that may be turned to
GOOD in the long run. He recalls that
come one has written:
who can foretell for what high
cause
This darling of the gods was born"
and he says that every child is a
potential darling of the godS'' in the
sense of those lines.
MexicanS and Negroes
I'm this work changes have come
about during the last few years that
are worthy of noting as we pass" said
Cook. "Some years ago the Mexican
no re oh
operation with us in the work of Sc
curing the best attendance of their
children. Not so today Then they
appeared suspicious. That has died
away. They are now in hearty accord
with our purpose and without eXcep-
ton the Mexican parents are lending
every assistance in keeping :neir, chill
dren in the school and I believe they
sincerely want them to MAKE prog
ress. AS is common knowledge, many
Of the Mexican families have small
means and they are not provided with
accurate time pieces, so that the chii-
dre1l often are late but without real
intent to be late.
"Our negro popuIaUon is especially
good about cooperating with us and
their. children are kept in school with
little difficulty
''It is my observation that the criti-
cal time in the school life is from IA
less They want to quit their school
work and get to earning money"
On one point, the officer suggests
that the parents may not fully under
stand how they can help the school
authorities and he states that if, when
there is a case Of sickness that makes
it ll1Wise to allow the child to go to
school, if the parent will call the
principal of, the school where the
child is enrolled it will save the Off
Ger of the call, as then the nurse will
look after the case.
Children sometimes cut certain
classes, the officer says, and that.
makes trouble. If they get home too
early, it should be a signal to the
parent to inquire into the case. It
is an absolute rule that no child is
allowed to leave the school grounds
without the consent of the principal
and it's appearance at the home prior
to the usual time would be reason for
the parent to make inquiry of the
teacher why it happened.
Cooperation of the parents, says
this officer, and careful handling Of
the children in the homes will help to
eliminate considerable percentage of
absenteeiSm. He recalls that "Dio--
genes struck the father when the
child swore" and he says that the
doctrine back of that statement might
well be incorporated into the policy of
the school today in handling the tru-
ancy and absenteeism for the parent
primarily is responsible for the course
his child purSueS.
Asked if he really enjoyed the work,
Cook. declared that he did. He said
there were many unpleasant things
encountered IN the course of year,
as the instance of the most pathetic
case he had found, but he added that
one could not expect all sunshine in
life, even though he resided in Ari-
zonas 'But I like the work" said
he, .'and to me the whole story can
be summed up in the words of the
stanza from John Hays Little
which run:
"'I think that saving a little child