null. L^UI1I1£, llie ivui-ivoz ! school term this county

null. L^UI1I1£, llie ivui-ivoz ! school term this county was , one of those counties which had the highest percentage of ) people twenty-five years old and up, who had completed the fewest years of education, \ Of Rappahannock's highschool-age children, (ages 14’ through 17,) we are apparently 1 losing a sizable number along the w'ay before they reach high school. Rappahannock is low on the list for having a high1 | percentage of these ages enrolled in school.

It has been more than ten years now since Virginia’s children have been ‘emancipated’ by this repeal of our manditory attendance law. It has been equally long that Rap pahannock Children have nc legal persuader to‘encourage’ their reluctant or delinquent parents to educate the children in the school. These parents may make their own decision, to educate them or leave them uneducated, except for the liberal education offered by corner-store, service station and garage 'tutors’.

Truthfully, Who has any con cern for these children? Do You? To what extent? Do you feel that they need school? Do you feel that civic and social conditioning inherent in school ing, even a few years of which might have helped these two boys, to have been guided from their present life of antisocial acts. If you do, how come you have not raised your voice to your County Supervisors in concern for Rappahannock’s indifferent policy, or policy of the status quo. But lest you grasp for a fast and easy solution to our present dilemma, a school attendance law will introduce more problems of another nature. You must be aware of these too. Some socially or psychologically ■ deprived children suffer definite limitations in their achievement capability. If these children are kept back in grades where they can not pass the work, torepeat the grades, 'they age’ and are left behind with younger children than < themselves. If these low- i achievement pupils have this happen to them several times before longthese children lose their incentive; they are illat-ease have a poor selfimage and become unteachable. This results in drop-outs To cope with the academically unteachable youngster, j or socially and psychological- i lv deprived child, there must be provided an opportunity for j him to learn a productive skill j He must be allowed to substi- I tute for the academic school! technical and manual arts ■ which can fit him for a life-!-1 work, in a gainful occupation, j This may involve establish- I ing a school of manual arts to teach the trades which can pre pare this type of child to become a creative person, and thus a supporting and responsible member of our socie ty. He may learn to be an electrician, a welder, a caroenter. a Diumber, a mechanic!