New-York tribune., 1882-02-27

FORCING CHILDREN TO ATTEND SCHOOL.
THE WORK DONE BY TIE IRUANCY AGENTS LAST
YEAR-sCP,nINTE<p <pESr JAsPEg's RECoMM&N-
pATIONs.
tiany persons who ore aware in general way
that there il such a thing as Compulsory Lduy'-
fi1r Act On TIA s.a;ut. books oi the Sta", nave H.
tie idea Of The import mt work he nG dole una - M,'
act by tho Iruancv Dcpartnept of IN" boId ~ -
ucatOn in th city. Tho main PROVISIONS "i ~ ~
net arc flla. All chiidrc, bet Wcen The aces OF o%h
ani fourteen Shall It rcquir'd to al nd SON" rnhc
or pIiyatc school ba I1-t rucfcd NJ nome
for ~ least fourteen weeks Of each year, eight
OF which sasl! b, coasovutiT" that instrnciloA
Ci yen during that TIM shall be IN Ga" cieIlendIE
English branches that il slal, be the duty o. any
peIaon employing cAi!dTca between ih3 ages oI
e hI aud fourteen Ielu.r' aGcrtihca,G GoItIt -
signed hy the CITY Superintendent certifying nat
The law has o2n 'onUic'. "Iii; ana Ilat N.oi'-
tioa of the provisions oi the as sldll ,aDirc ti!e
parents or Guardians t. ;iur Of 81 Tor the hri'
ocncc ard - cor cz n and every week, no eXcccd-
ing thirteen weeks in any cne year.
Under this ect trIanCy 2g"GtS nave pen "T-
pointed by the RoarI 0f l&nca on each Of whom
has a special district assigned {, ban and whose
duty is to see that al cai9rcn Of he 'Ges Hcl
ing report for the year ended December ~, lNN .
states that persuasion Is in all case7 mt n"e,'
and il that fails The delinquent cli'a, who Is 'ech-
nicalIva "tn,ant,' is arrested and taken before
police Justice OF The city, sGl If onnd gHty u con-
ntted tn the Ncw-IoTE JGycnil. Asylum or TO t''e
New-Ioik Catholic l'r it"ctory. During the year
covered Nv th report tais work has he IN undos tha
charge of City Superintend nj john jaSp'r. lie
states that the efforts of the Board have brcn mann
ly confined 10 eases o. irnauc7 and oM-'tt nuihcc'
n the law intended, while OF "hscncHlsin have
been relocated manly 10 tie principals or inc
different schools. ihe number of children whG are
ncorrigibie Is much less than formerly owing large
" 10 The fact that there is known power OF com
pulsi' II. The following the main features Oh th'
work done during thc year:
Visits made TO houses l,536
Visits made 10 schools .....- l,%83
Visits made 10 stor.s factories. ctc.,....... l,Gl9
"
Total Lumber Of cases investigated AMI closed. $3.50
Under these general figures there are some inter
rsti1e details. While 3.25s chlliIen have been
kept at home citIer by 'heir parents by sickness.
or by poverty, only seven have been TAUGHT az
iome sixteen We're found 10 be physicsuy or men
tally disuualife for any:hlng 267 had To leave
school to 90 TO work, having passed the STA,
utory age. Tie residences OF l,Oli children couid
not be found; POI were found employed IN stores
and factories contrary TO law; 2,l32 truants were
returned to schools which they had left, while $50
who had never been at school at ali were placed
there, and forty were commit d 10 re1ormatorE r.
stitutions by parents through the agents OF the
Board. .
The habits consequent upon vogran; life and the
want of proper apparel are fOUnd 10 lie Che great
est difficulties in The way of sending many children
to the public schools. In the opinion 1t
the Superintendent. such children ought
not to be sent to the public schools in any case !;
some other means must be dcvis ID 10 mee5 such
special cases. lie therefore makes two recon-
mendations a9 follows
Frst-lhat three schools be established IN different
paris of the cI!y which the habituai trGan non
attendant shall he sent. and from Whicn be shall be
transferred the pablo schools uPGn proof Of amend
meit or from wlicl H. shall De transferred the Re
forsixtorv Scaoo below mentioned upon proof ny b1d
conduct for six weeks that he J. incOrTiCihc.
Sscond-That a RcfOrualOry School be established for
the discipline instruction and confinement Of hGbitun
truauts and children between the OF eight and
fourteen who may be found wandering GbOut the streets
dur ne school huuis and who have no Wflh cccunal"n
when such children show themselves TO he amcnahe 10
no gentle discipline and that such school shan he an
iadisrlL school; teaching the children some business or
trade and SHAH be sef-susaining as far as possible
under the Circumstances.
This report with the recommendations appended
will come before the Board of Education al its next
MEETING and it is thought likely that some e.lcrt
will he made 70 give these recommendations prac-
tlcal shape II is estimated that there are 10000
children in this city who receive no education
whatever and FROM whose ranks The criminal
classes are mainly rocrutel. IT IS th0ught by many
that the time has cOuIc when something ought
to he done TO rescue this large aud growing class
from ignorance and its twin sister, vice, and to
teach them some useful calling by which they may
be enabled TO earn an honest living.