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<br />school a half or a whole day. This is deceiving their parents,
<br />and doing both the teacher and themselves a grievous wrong.
<br />The injury to their own moral character, and their loss of
<br />school advantages, are items of no slight importance. A stricter
<br />guard should be kept by parents; and we suggest that, on this,
<br />as on all other accounts, they should frequently visit school,
<br />and learn, by personal examination, and inquiry of the teacher,
<br />how far their exertions, in relation to their children, are, in this
<br />regard, attended with success. Furthermore, we think it would
<br />be highly beneficial, if they would require from their children a
<br />strict account; if they would show them that this subject
<br />engages their attention, and that they are not willing to be
<br />taxed for the support of schools, and have their advantages
<br />neglected. Were those parents, who do not feel a consciousness
<br />of this duty, to realize how much the interests of education suf-
<br />fer thereby, they would endeavor to atone for past neglect.
<br />To show that our urgent entreaty is not uncalled for, we will
<br />quote a statement from the last annual report of the Secretary
<br />of the Board of Education. It appears there, that the average
<br />attendance in the schools of the State was, in the year 1846-47,
<br />during the summer terms, 11,331 more, than for the summer of
<br />the preceding year; and, for the winter terms, it was 11,571
<br />more. Nevertheless, the evil of a want of attendance is shown
<br />in the same report to have been very great. Of the 197,919
<br />children enrolled in our schools, the average attendance was
<br />only 121,439 in summer, leaving an average absence of 76,480;
<br />and the average attendance in winter was only 139,655, leaving
<br />an average absence of 58,264. Well may the honorable secre-
<br />tary exclaim, "What a sum of hard-earned money was here
<br />squandered; what an amount of instruction thrown away ! A
<br />people, as highly moral and religious as any on the face of the
<br />globe, appears to have withdrawn this great department of duty
<br />from the domain of conscience." Of this sad report, how
<br />much falls to our share? According to the accounts of the last
<br />year, the whole number of scholars in our schools, in summer,
<br />was 352, of which the average attendance was 297, leaving an
<br />average absence of 55, or nearly 3tlisa of the whole number of
<br />absences in all the summer schools in the State; and in winter,
<br />the whole number belonging to our schools was 393, and the
<br />fault found with the teacher, (resting, however, as all the com-
<br />plaints upon mere rumor at that time,) was that he was not
<br />sufficiently refined. Another, and the chief one was, that he had
<br />no right to compel his scholars, as he had endeavored to do, to be
<br />" tale -tellers," or " tale -bearers." A number of the scholars had
<br />confessedly been disorderly, and, in our opinion, had combined
<br />together, to break up the school. It was urged, that the teach-
<br />er had no right to compel any one of them, whom he knew to
<br />be guilty, on pain of being himself dismissed, if he did not com-
<br />ply, to reveal the conspiracy, or disclose the names of the offend-
<br />ers. We decided at once directly to the contrary, and author-
<br />ized the teacher to suspend any such refractory scholar from
<br />his privileges. This decision, though involving a principle en-
<br />tirely new to some persons, will need no argument of ours, to
<br />commend it to general acceptance. It is almost universally
<br />adopted in all schools, and is the only principle upon which
<br />that society, for which our youth are preparing in the schools,.
<br />can be held together, and the only one compatible with justice,
<br />and order. But our views were not acceded to, and another
<br />district meeting was called by the dissentients, which we at-
<br />tended, hoping to pour oil upon the troubled waters. It was to
<br />none effect. The authority of the Committee was denied, they
<br />were told that they were not competent to judge of the matters
<br />in question, and were not well informed of the condition of the
<br />school. Yet, nothing was elicited in the discussion at that time,
<br />which did any thing more than confirm us in our opinion, and
<br />the district voted not to entertain any measures impinging upon
<br />the position of the teacher. This was the all-important point
<br />in this whole matter. If, at this juncture, the disaffected had
<br />taken the true and justifiable course, the school might have
<br />gone on peacefully. Their duty was to submit to the authority
<br />and decision of the Superintending Committee. Such is the duty
<br />of all good citizens, in cases of dissatisfaction, in the broader
<br />field of the affairs of society. The suitable remedy for er-
<br />rors of management, attributed to those in office, however un-
<br />reasonably, is at the proper time to remove them from their au-
<br />thority, but meanwhile, with all the grace possible, to submit
<br />to their control. This, also, seems too obvious a principle to
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