Page 160 - Records of Bahrain (5) (ii)_Neat

402 Records of Bahrain

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The first cause of inefficiency is Irregular Attendance.
There cun ho no successful education of children if they arc to bo
present in class ono day and absent the next. Tho children of Bahrain
attend school irregularly for three reasons : tho first is illness, tho second is
mitoiuil employment, and the third is parental neglect. Illness is discussed
at some length later in this Report; absonco through temporary or soasonal
employment we cannot at present prevent; and as for absonco through
parental neglect, there are two separato remedies.

If wo wish children to attend school regularly, sve must (apart from
beeping them healthy) do two things : wo must educate parents and children
in the importance of regularity, and we must supervise attendance. It is
not sufficient merely to murk crosses day by day on pieces of paper to signify
(hat certain pupils have not come to school. We must follow up, each day,
each euro of absence. Tho child may bo ill, or for soino other reason pre­
vented by its parents from attending, or it may bo absenting itself without
tho parents' knowledge. Obviously neither tho headmasters nor tho assist­
ant musters of the schools have the necessary time at their disposal for tho
making of close enquiries about absences, and consequently wo aro obliged to
employ ollicials, called attendance olliccrs, lo do tho work. Tho duty of au
attendance olliccr is to go each day to the houses of all tho missing childron,
In ascertain beyond doubt the causes of their absonco, and to communicuto
them lo tho headumstoi of tho school. The further duty of such ollicors, in
Bahrain, would bo to act us liaison officers between the sick children and
the local dispensaries.
I recommend that your Highness should give orders for the immediate
appointment of attendance olliccrs, at least in tho throe schools of
Manamnb, Muburruq, and Hedd. At tho other schools such duties could
perhaps bo undertaken by tho headmasters, hut this is not ootiroly satisfac­
tory, and a regular attendance olliccr in each school, if it can bo afforded,
would be far bettor.

Ab to lbo education of both parents and children in tho matter of
attendance, this is tho proper work of the schools themselves. I therefore
mi vise your Highness lo issue instructions lo tho inspector, making it a
definite part of tho duty of the schoolmustcrs to address parents and children,
at frequent intervals, on tho importance of regular attendance. Childron
midways open to reason, and parents are sometimes, and I tun sure that
if the schools will tuko this matter of attendance under their care, there will
soon be an improvement.