New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-27
cnuprLSOLY EnrcATION.

We commend the annual report Of the
Superintendent Of Public instruction To the
careful consideration of the Committees on
Education Of our Legislature. It Is by no
means mere routine document. 1t Is ono
Of the most thoughtful and suggestive reports
that has ever issued from that department
Especially worthy Of the attention Of those
who may be called upon to promote legislation
relating 10 our school system Is the paragraph
Of the report on compulsory education. Vol
uptary education in our common schools by no
means reaches all the children "Ihcrc IS 4
large uncducatcd class in the state says the
Superintendent "and our statistics show that
il is growing larger. The Attendance upon
our schools does not keep pace with the All
vance IN popuation.' Here Is statement
that may well alarm public spirited citizens.
The future Of Il COmmonw callh in winch such
II state Of things exists Is by no means secure.
The mcducatcd class growing larger means
that the intellectual and moral Stamina oi
Ncw-York is growing wcakcr-it means that
else philosophy and experience are at iault.
Now fourteen years ago. with view OF meet
ing this giant evil. the Legislature passed what
IS known as the Compulsory Education Net.
II must have been a haSty piece OF legislation.
At all events. il was useless. II has simply
been dead letter The Superintendent char
actcrizcs it as "a compulsory law which does
not compel" and shows Why in the nature of
things 1t could not be expected To compel.
Obviously, therefore the Committees on Edu-
cation can have no more pressing duty this
session than that Of securing the passage OF
compulsory education act that will compel.
L L.. Ill, Nv
revising and amending the existing law. II
not, let it be repealed and fresh start made.
Last November the subject Of compulsory
education was thoroughly discussed at "A con-
ycntion Of school teachers at Rochester. The
unshot Of the debate was the adoption OF 4
resolution declaring that "thc existing laws
on compulsory education are sufficient; the
weakness lies in the failure definitely to fix
the obligation to enforce thcm'
1t is 10 be gathered from this that the Roch
ester convention held that it was merely ncccS-
sary to amend the compulsory act now on The
statute books in order to make it operative.
But Superintendent Draper mentions number
az particulars in which il is defective:
In the first place It requires members Of Boards Of
Education to look after and apprchcnd delinquent chill
dren and II Is unreasonable 10 expect that officials
elected only to manage the schools and who serve
without pay Will devote the necessary time, that
they Will engage In work which should devolvc upon
"A policeman or constable, or some other officer spcc
ally charged with and paid for such service. Again
the penalties provided for I'm the act run mainly
against children, and people viii be swift To enforce
penalties against children for delinquency not amount
Ing 10 crmc for which they are not properly answer
able a. are their parents Guardians. The penalties
I'm the act which go against parents are nero inc' so
incOnsdrrablc as to be ridiculous, and the machinery
provided for collecting them IS too cumbersome ana
expensive to 10 commonly made uso Of Moreover,
the act requires that children under fourteen years oil
age shOld attend for at least fourteen We els In tho
year Attendance for small a part Of the year Is
hardly Of enough importance to justify any serious
effort to insure H. Again. the law does NOT require
communities to net In the matter, nor does II pro-
vide any adequate school facilities for the accommoda
ton of dclinqucnts If brought In.
The Legislature may have lcgislatcd il the
dark fourteen years ago. BIT now the lamp
Of experience sheds a food If light for their
benefit. There is no reason why law should
not be enacted thA year which would greatly
increase the attendance at our schools, and in
so doing greatly decrease the attendance at