Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-14
OUR CHILDREN
~ ANGELO PATRI.
Promote Him.

d 4V4AAVtS &A4A4s
my son IL failing in school. The
teacher says he is not interested In his
work: that he could do better II he
wanted to try. I have done everything
In my power to make him study, but
each week the same report cones home
No progress. He Is year behind his
grade. He was sick and lost his pro-
motion on that account. When he was
Left back he seemed to lose all interest
In school work. Then we moved and
the new school seems harder. What
can we do? He is an intelligent boy
and this backwardnesS Is dreadful for
him and for me-"
Promote him. I used to think, when
was young teacher, that only the
children who could pass an examina-
ton in every subject of the grade work,
with high mark, should be promoted.
I have learned better. If school were
the only force at work in the childs
education that would be all right. He
would need to pass high in all subjects
Of the grade. But school is only one of
the educational forces of today. The
others are home and society and they
are not mean teachers.
An intelligent child learns a great
many things as he lives each day. He
cannot help 1t. The streets, the mar
kets, the home people, the newspapers,
the movies and the talkies, and the the
atefs, the church and the societies allied
School builds on the intelligence that is
developed by association with these
other forces. School is dependent for
its success on the success Of these very
forces.
The intelligent boy can catch up a
grade without any great strain. Indeed
most OF them would be the better for
making an effort now and then. 1t
stretches their growth to further growth.
1t won't hurt this boy to work hard to
catch up to the pupils in the grade
above him. 1t will help him. The OBJ
ject he has in view will spur him on.
AS 1t is now he has no object. He
wishes he could get out of school and
occupies his mind by wishing, watching
the clock, listening for the dismissal
bell. In between he whispers, idles,
lounges. says, II don't know" and i'm
plies, IT don't care"
When a child is in good health, when
he is intelligent and able, 1t does no
good to keep him back; Promote him
and grade his work so that he is called
upon to make up the back work and
keep even with his grade This means,
Of course, study of his needs, a pro-
gram adjusted to them. an intelligent
teacher and a school fluid enough to
permit the growth of its individual
pupils. All of this Is possible in this
day and generation.
When we keep child back like this
we gain nothing. We clog the school.
We spend twice as much money on the
child for the term as We need to do, we
retard the childs growth. This, of
course. If he is healthy and intelligent.
Children of the intermediate grades,
say from the fifth through the seventh
years of elementary school, are likely to
slow down. School has lost its first in
terest and become familiar and rather
dull routine. Adolescence is coming on.
Body and mind are uneasy and rather
more than uncomfortable. We must so
adjust school In these grades as to keep
the children interested, at work, and
growing
You can't do that by keeping q boy
or o girl back. Send him along. Adjust
his program. Give him a fresh point
Of view. Give him plenty Of activity in
MS days work. Make him grow whether
he wants to or not by the sheer force
OF the stimulus school offers. Promote
him and keep him going.
tCopyrirht, 1919