The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-03-28
The Cost OF Vacant School
Seats

What is the cost to our schools sys-
tenn of seats vacant because of inter-
mittent absence Of pupils? Parents as
a rule are not conscious of the loss in
volved when their children absent them
selves from school. loss through insuffic-
lent use OF fulltime facilities, loss
through interruption OF the child prog
ress and loss through hindrance Of class
room advancement.
The waste in money and opportunity
is large and school administrators have
like other business executives, had to
guard against it Business makes strong
point of looking after the health and
morale of its workers. The attitude is
not only humane but profitable. Loss
OF time through illness or other pre-
ventable causes is expensive to both
employer and empioye.
1t costs the taxpay ers no more to OPP
crate a classroom with a hur died per
cent attendance than it does with ninety
per cent. In the latter case the schools
are being operated at ten per cent.
loss. The importance of this fact may
never have occurred to parents. There
are those who are even inclined 10
consider the school meddlesome if it
tries to keep close check on absentees.
They regard it as an encroachment on
their individual rights. They consider
the schools a place where children are
to be taught when it is convenient for
them to attend.
The financial loss is not the only con-
sideration. There is the handicap to
the pupil through scattered absences, as
well as the lowering of the efficiency
and progress of the entire class. No
business enterprise would tolerate the
percentage of absence and hardness eX-
perienced in the schools 1t would be
too Disappointing to be profitable. Par
ents should be impressed with the i'm
portance, Of punctual and regular atten-
dance, not only as benefit to the child,
duty to the regular attendants and a
service to the community in getting the
maximum value out of school funds,
but also as factor in habit training.
1t helps build sense of responsibility
and dependability in the pup
The great burden of responsibility for
attendance now falls, necessarily, on the
teacher. She has, of course, co-opera.
ton from various agencies. such as the
visiting or home teacher, attendance
officers, ETC.. yet the major part of the
task of keeping the classroom filled is
on her shoulders. She must face the
monthly attendance percentage. a
barometer registering the interest gen.
Grated in the classroom and the vigor
with which the teacher follows up abb
sences insists on prompt and regular at
tendance. When the energy of the
teacher is directed toward the attend
ance problem, it is being diverted from
that supply which should be applied to
her teaching power, or else is depicting
the reserve energy, as essential in a
teacher as is the cash reserve in a
business or industry. 1t would seem,
therefore, that the home should take
seriously this shifting to the teacher of
an added burden. 1t remains hers to
do if the home does not do it. IT she
has concern for her own record, for the
interests of other pupils and for the COM
munity making school finances possible,
she has no alternative.
Educating the child should be a CO.
operative labor, divided between schoo
and home. The responsibility of pupil
attendance rests on the parent and
ought not 20 be shifted on the school.
-O-