"Curfew" is a dreaded word. Many students fear getting caught
after curfew, while others like to try and break it. But most of them don't
really know what curfew in Atlanta means.
Here for your knowledge are portions of the Police Committee's "Ordinance
Establishing a Curfew":
"SECTION 1. It shall be unlawful for any person under the age of seventeen years to walk, loiter, idle, wander, stroll or play or be present in or upon the public streets, highways, roads, alleys, parks, playgrounds or other grounds, public places and public buildings, places of amusement and entertainment, vacant lots or other such places between the hours of 12 o'clock midnight and 5 a. m. of the following day, official City of Atlanta time; provided, however, that the provisions of this section do not apply to a minor accompanied by his or her parent or other adult person having the care and custody of the minor at that time, or where the minor is upon an emergency errand or legitimate business directed in writing, dated and signed by his or her parent, guardian or adult person having custody of said minor.
Responsibility
"SECTION 2. It shall be unlawful for the parent, guardian or other
adult person having the care and custody of a minor under the age of seventeen
years to . . . permit . . . or tolerate . . . such minor to . . . loiter
. . . or be present in or upon the public streets . . . or other unsupervised
places (as named in section 1) between the hours of 12 o'clock midnight
and 5 a. in. of the following day, official City of Atlanta time.
Enforcement
"SECTION 3. Any minor under the age of seventeen who shall do any of
the acts prohibited by Section I hereof shall upon request furnish to the
officers his name and address and that of his parents or guardian or person
having custody and care of such minor, and then be directed by any officer
of the police force to return to his or her dwelling place or residence,
and upon the failure or refusal of such minor to return forthwith, he or
she shall be turned over to the appropriate court for disposition."
Although statistics is a controversial subject, especially when we do not come out on top, European education must be considered as a superior system for overall education. Speaking specifically of the French system, the first thing to be considered should be the curriculum.
Curriculum
To accomplish the education of the selected student, a schedule is given
which contains no electives. This schedule is well-rounded. Fluency in more
than one language is absolutely necessary in Europe because of proximity.
Thus the students is instructed in the language of the nearest foreign country.
Mathematics is welt distributed, and in the equivalent of our tenth grade,
trigonometry, solid geometry, and algebra are taught. "Each division
of the native language is a separate course (dictation, grammar, reading),
and social studies are varied (geography, history, civics in the same year).
This curriculum is scheduled so that no subject is studied on two consecutive
days. The school day begins at 8 a. m. and closes at 6:30 p. m.
Selection
Selection is an important part of education in France. An examination is
given at the beginning of college preparatory schooling, and if the student
passes it, he goes on to college preparation. If not he will enter a trade
school in which he will complete the equivalent of our high school education
while being trained for a vocation. The more gifted student is in a class
more capable of satisfying his capacity for learning, and after six years
will be thoroughly prepared to enter a university.
Only the masculine gender has been referred to so far because French schools are generally divided into boys' and girls' schools. Studies are aided by strict discipline, and a teacher's effectiveness is noted not only by his intelligence but by the size of his hand. Good conduct is generally the rule.
In conclusion, American education permits a choice of subjects and deeper penetration of fewer subjects, with emphasis on a specific area and personality development through extra-curricular activities. European education affords a variety of subjects to enable complete education and intellectual development for those who care to learn.