The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-09-21
WHY BOYS SKIP SCHOOL

WHY BOYS SKIP SCHOOL
 The boys mother presents the
 guess you would call my boy a problem child. He is good boy in every respect, but for one thing. He has a habit of skipping school rather often. He went to our neigh borhood school for four years and had no trouble. But since we were forced to go on relief everything is wrong. The teachers have con- stantly threatened the boy, the principal also, telling him they would send the yellow slip that would take him to the parental school, and finally last spring they did send him to ------ school. I think most of the boys there are colored. There the teachers always threaten him with the parental school or another they call the - institution.
 John (let us call him) Is scared to death of whipping. If he is told he is to get one he will run away for three or four days.
 At this school, an eleven month school. just before vacation one of the mon teachers told him he was doomed when vacation took up, 50 John left Monday, as I supposed for school, but he hasn't returned. His life is a constant dread of what will happen next.
 If people could only treat him kindly instead of treating him as a criminal. If he gives an excuse for his absence they tell him they don't believe 1t.
 I truly believe that teachers should never threaten a boy or mis- trust him. have four children, three in school, and the teachers never pick on the other two.
 John Is only II years old, and everybody says he is smart, but he is the most unlucky boy ever saw,
 Can you give me any sort of ad- vice on how to handle this problem to save the boy? I fear he is liable to be sent to the parental school when school takes up again this month. (Mrs. )
 If Johns parents were well to do. no one would threaten the boy in school Instead teachers end prin- cipal would regard him as q chaI- lenge to their art and set about the pcdagogic art of getting the boy in- terested so that he would feel some in9entive to come regularly to school.
 Best advice I can give the moth- CT Is to take John to q psychiatrist for friendly conference. If she can't pay the mental specialists Tee, then perhaps there Is a free clinic in her city where expert guidance will be given. The local health department would direct her to such a clinic.
 The case brings back the good old days when l skipped school. Why did I skip? Partly, I think. Tor the same reason John sklps--to get away from certain harsh teach CTS; and partly, I suppose, because of boyish inferiority complex. The habit stuck. too. I've skipped school more or less all my life. The main difference between John and me Is that lived in q village, and John lives In great city.
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
 Reaction Time
 As q motOrist anxious to do my part in decreasing traffic accidents. [ ask whether you know of any way to develop fast thinking and shorten reaction time. I believe 1t is called spedeing up the refexes. (R. l.. C.)
 Answer--No. Alcohol and vari- ous drugs slow the reaction time and that explains many accidents which normal reflex action would prevent. But there is no known way to speed up reaction time. Gull tivating general health and fitness keeps the rcHexes in the best con dition.
 Regeneration
 Suggestions in your booklet have helped me to reduce from 108 to 176 pounds without inconvenience. To other effects have been decrease of profuse nose and throat secre- tlons and complete indifference to alcohol, which I had used immod- erately for years. (s. E. e.
 Answer--From the correspond- ents letter I am not sure whether the booklet "Ttegeneration Resi. men" or the booklet Design for