1852-1853 School Committee Report

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4 5 do, as a general thing, improve from year to year, and that their condition during the last year has been quite as good as, if not better than, the average for any number of years past. The most general defect, existing more or less in every dis- trict in town, is a lack of interest, on the part of parents, in the real well-being of the schools. This is shown by the infrequency of their visits to them. The Registers, which are doubtless somewhat inaccurate in this matter, mention not more than two visits, made by parents, in all the schools in town, throughout the year.* While the Committee do not doubt that, within the school -room, the teacher, so long as he holds his place, should be permitted to govern alone, they are sure that the manifestation of interest by parents in occasional visits to the school, and in a free and full and friendly con- versation on the studies, dispositions, habits, and government of their children, would be gratefully recognized by the teach- er, — would make his hard work easier, would do very much to correct any prejudices against the teacher that may have been formed, — would help to keep him from making such mistakes as might impair or destroy his good influence, and would so increase his interest in, and attachment for, his call- ing, as to render him much more successful. Parents should bear in mind, that it belongs to them to take the first step in such a conversation : while in their whole intercourse with the teacher they should remember, that both are laboring for the same object, and so should, as much as possible, ex- clude harsh thoughts, and abstain from drawing unfavorable inferences from his errors. This lack of interest is more clearly shown in the trifling causes for which parents often allow or oblige the absence of their children. The frequent instances of tardiness and ab- sence in our schools, strongly call for the attention of parents and school districts. The School Committee have the power to prescribe rules in this matter. But it would, they thought, be useless, and perhaps prejudicial, for them to exercise that * This remark does not, of course, include the closing examinations. These are usually quite well attended. power without a more hearty cooperation, on the part of par- ents, than they could find reason to anticipate. Until public sentiment becomes more alive than it is, generally, in our country towns, they will, in this most important respect, be behind the large towns and cities. As soon as there is rea- son to suppose that the community by cheerful acquiescence will authorize it, the School Committee will, doubtless, gladly avail themselves of the opportunity to advance very much the interests of education, by prescribing rules that shall insist upon the punctual and constant attendance of the scholars. The more stringent parents desire such rules to be made, the better. They will be very unlikely to pass the bounds of reason. They will be quite likely to mistake on the side of leniency. As a general thing, the community is not aware of the hindrance a single scholar, by his absence, may be to the progress of his class. The instance in a school last win- ter is perhaps no remarkable one. Then, a class was obliged to go over the same ground on four successive days, at least. The teacher was explaining the use of the multiplication table, one day, to a young class. On the next day a scholar was present who had been away at the previous exercise. The teacher must go over the whole explanation with him ; and to him alone must the time be given which had already been given, for this purpose, to the whole class on the pre- vious day. On the next day yet another one came who had been absent on the two days before, and on the third still an- other. We need not wonder if the class grew listless and in- attentive at last, nor if a repetition of such instances should deprive them of all interest in their study. It is easy for any one to perceive, if he will think a moment, that, with very rare exceptions, every instance of absence must be a great draw- back to a whole class, if not to the whole school. So may one irregular child cause much injury to the school, and derive lit- tle or no advantage from it himself. Parents, again, might with profit show an increased interest in the teacher's success, by occasionally inviting him to see them at their homes, — not merely giving a general invitation to drop in when convenient, which in most cases is little better, 1*