Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-02-01
COMPULSORY EDUCATION
In the Ohio Legislature.

COMPULSORY EDUCATION
In the Ohio Legislature.
Through the courtesy of Capt. Cope,
Chief Clerk of the Secretary of State,
there is on our table copy of House
Bill No. 7s, entitled: A Bill to secure
to children the benefits Of an Elemen.
tary Education.
The first section provid,s for the
sending 10 school for at least twelve
weeks per year, six weeks of which to
be continuous, Of all children between
the ages Of eight and fourteen years
1t then leaves open the following loop
holes-unfitness of bodily or mental
condition of child; necessity of its labor
to support INDECENT parent, brother OF
sister; the fact of its being otherw!st
furnished with the means of education
for like period of time; that 1t has
already acquired the branches of learn
ing ordinarily taught in common
schools; provided, finally, the parent or
guardian live within two miles of the
school house of his district. These
various avs Dues of escape from the
blessings of common school education
are to be opened or closed in the discre.
ton Of the local directors or board OF
education. Imagine any ordinary
board testing the proper degree of bod
ily or mental weakness, or paternal or
maternal OF fraternal or sisterly dadi-
ge'sce, or the quality OF THE instruction
othertrise furnished, or taking an in
ventory of the already acquired stock,
and then, out on the frontier of the dis.
triet, stepping off the distance TO the
school house. From our observation of
these officials, and OF human nature in
general when it comes TO going into d
family to interfering with matters and
things there, we think INDECENT iDJig-
.nant parents are safe. The four follow
ing sections relate to the employment
of children in mills, factories &c.
Without creating All officer whose
bonded duty it would be to oversee the
whole matter in his district these Sec
lions, designed to protect children from
the avarice of parents, and the rapacity
of mill owners would, We fear, be al.
NEST nugatory. Fear of the odium
which commonly falls upon the inform
er, would prevent action in the case by
any outsider, feeling sggrieyed'
simply for humanity's sake.
The question of compulsory attend
ance is one OF the real school issues of
the day. 1t being admitted that the
Influence of our common schools Is to
be the safeguard of free institutions;
that the property of "a State should ed
ueate the children of the State and that
truaDcy and absenteeiSm are evils that
prevent the influence, Of the schools
from being rs fsr reaching DIS could be
desired, it Is still question whether
our people are ready 10 sanction the en-
actment of compulsory laws. "Com-
pulsion r' says the American Jack Fall
staff, "tho' my children were as plenty
as blackberries and schools as plenty as
bushes, l wouldn't send one on COM
pulsion." In some schools the course
of study is so complex and it takes So
long time to come to competent,
usable knowledge of the common
branches, that even intelligent parents
may. wonder whether shorter cut may
not be taken; whether a preparation
for honorable usefulness may not be
gained on the farm or in the shop or
store. Are the schools designed for the
children or sre the children born for
the schools? iH
Society should protect itself against
the danger Of increasing the number of
the ignorant and vicious, but is not the
danger of forcing into the schools some
young specimens Of humanity DOW
running the streets, little too great,
unless the Iaws.giye the school Official
greater power to protect the school
against the bad influence? In these
days, when slight scutching is az
sault and battery, who can count up
the evil that may, in such cases, he
done? True, We have Reform schools
but not one for each thousand young
Arabs in need of them. These should
be taken in charge by the State but not
to. be put where their p bwer of mischief
would be increased to 4 maximum.
.CompulsiOn should be the rounding
jat OF a series Of measures having for
heir object the enlightening OF parents:
.alling in home influence in support of
he school; making the schools them
'elves more attractive and more safe
~ having them 10 charge of well train.
ID teachers devoted to their calling and II
lot merely earning a few dollars TO
ave the way into some other business.
n to buy fine clothes "a a means to.
ward final ,cedding suit; watchful 4
upervision by . Competent officer oil i
he schools Of each county So that they Il
nay more completely supply the wants {
ffhe children and be faithful auxili- L
ry to that older, diviner institutIon-Ip
hesfamiiy. When by such measuresii /
8 these, the schools are what they'll