New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-22
THE TRUANT CHILDREN OF THE STATE

The Board Of Education OF Newburg has
inst been holding its monthly meeting, and one
of the subjects which was discussed at II IS OF
general interest member Of the Board
stated that the 3ccordcr of the city had recent
IL informed him that the police were bringing
in every day or two, three or four boys of school
ace. and invariably they were truants' The
Recorder had added that he did not know what
10 do with these truants who were charged with
uottv thcfts. malicious mischief or some other
minor offence and he wanted To know II there
was any plan which the Board could adopt
to keen the children of the streets. During
the debate which followed the presentation OF
These facts, il was asserted that the Compul-
sorry Education law 50 far as IT affected truantS
was dead letter and that no Supreme Court
Judge would approve Of sending children 10
House of Refuge unless they were actual Grim
inals The president Of the Board remarked
that ga few wears ago this subject was before
the Board. which was Informed that if il had
4 place in which TO confnc these children it
could do So, The outcome of the discussion
was the appointment of committee charged
with the duty of seeing what can be done.
Now this lamentabc state of things is by no
means confined 10 Ncwburg. In fact. ii is safe
10 say that there is not a city III the state
which is free from the curse of truancy More
than that it appears from the reports OF the
Superintendent OF Public instruction, and from
other officials who have to do with our com
mon schools that the evil in question is on the
increase During the six years OF his Supcrn-
tendency Judge Draper IN each one of his annu-
nj reports directed the attention OF the Legs
laturc to this vital point, to the end that the
Compulsory Education law which has proved
worthless might be superseded by one under
which truancy could be cured. But no reform
has been accomplished although the school
superntcndcnts throughout the State have
heartily co-opcratcd with the superintendent
in-chicf. In 1889 the Legislature passed
measure which met the approval of these cX-
pcrts and of other educators, which provided
for compulsory education, and appropriated
SIOO. 900 for the establishment OF a State
school to which truant children might be sen
fenced by criminal courts or judicial officers.
This measure, while it contained many excel
lent features, was open to some serious objcc-
tons and Governor Hill vetoed it. Since then
no bill having the same end in view has been
enacted at Albany. The stupid law Of 1874
still cumbcrs the satutc-h0oks: truancy still
is on the increase the Empire state, which
gattcrS herself that she is one Of the most en-
lishtened and progressive Of commemorative,
must plead guilty to the Indictment of standing
by school policy which is SO disgraccfully
defective that ignorance rather than education
is on the increase within her borders.
The State superintendent for the last ten
years have held an annual meeting in the in
terest of the schools. They are Il brainy body
of men they are devoted to their profession;
they are familiar with the literature Of com
pulsOry education they know what were the
faults of the bill of 1889 which Governor Hill
killed, and of the one of this year which failed
to get through the Legislature. Why. then, do
they not get their heads together and prepare
bill which will prove generally satisfactory.
which will meet the long felt want" which
will provide for compulsory education of a IA
tionaI sort that will really compel? Doubt
less good many subjects of more or less i'm
portance will come before the superintendent
at their forthcoming annual meeting But if
all of them should be laid on the table except
the one in question. and if on that one these