Evening star., 1937-05-06
Child Must
Be Praised
For Effort
Students With Only
Average Marks Too
Often Neglected.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

SCHOOL success and failure are
the measurement Of child's
fitness. The community pronounces
judgment upon a child according
to his school marks. wonderfully
bright boy. Very clever girl Bound
to get on" The bright ones are
applauded and go on from glory to
glory.
The slow ones. the deficient ones,
are marked. 'Dreadfully stupid.
Left back every term and finally
pushed out. Useless. If he were mine
I'd either make him learn something
or I'd know the reason why. They
are going to put him in a special
class. Give him expert instruction.
Well, let's hope he wakes up. After
ALL what's child without an educa-
ton? Give them the special subjects
and the expert teachers II they need
them, but give them an education
That's what I say"
The bright ones and the dull ones,
these are well looked to in school
and community. Praise for the sue
cessful, help and extra care for the
defective. What about the ordinary
child, ordinary because he belongs
to the great group of able and willing
youth who are the hope of the school
and the strength of the community?
What attention do they get?
When a child takes home card
with a line Of BIS and a scattering
Of B pluses, does anybody run to the
telephone and call grandma? Does
anybody write Immediately to Aunt
Martha? Not that anybody can see
with the naked eye. Father looks
the card over and says, HIN. Well,
I see you have no failures. That's
something. Still in the B class.
Couldn't you make mistake and
get an A for change, or is 1t too
much for you?"
Mother takes the card, reads 1t
carefully and says finally, with a
sigh, We'll, I suppose 1t is the best
you can do, but I must say I'm dis
appointed. Your cousin is doing very
we'll Never gets below 80. I can't
see why my child can't get anything
above B plus to save his life. Give
me that pen. I suppose I'll have to
sign it,"
That's praise for the backbone Of
society," now isn't it? Instead Of prais-
ing the child for conscientious, steady,
consistent effort he is permitted to
know that he Is allowed to live, but
just allowed, no more. Instead OF
praising the fit child, the healthy,
sturdy worker, he is shrugged off as
one hanging on the edges Of society
by the grace of patience and the
virtue Of necessity.
The child who gets a B and = B
plus rating III school works hard to
get it, probably much harder than
his A brother or sister. That effort
is praiseworthy quality, one greatly
to be desired, for 1t is by effort that
growth is made, and by effort that
progress is made in civilization. Out
of the great group OF normal healthy
B and B plus children come the very
cream of our citizenship.
1t is to them the community owes
thorough and complete education
because it is on their shoulders that
the burden of progress, the load of
daily labor, the responsibility for the
health and ability for the coming
generation, must rest. They need the
best teachers we can get, the best
equipment that can be provided, and
the hearty encouragement of the
community. They are likely to be
overlooked between the applause for
the bright ones and the anxiety for
the deficient ones. Praise the good