West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1892-07-14
COMPULSORY SCHOOL LAW.
ny W. q. CoNLEY. COUNTY SUPER.
INTgNDENr PRtSToN COZ NTY.

the time of the great church refor-
nation in 1917, the first efforts of
imparting instruction to the masses,
or lower strata Of society were
made. True, ever since Charlie
magne's "schola palatina there
had beeG schools, but not the kind
above mentioned. In 1929,
Luther's Catechism appeared, and
was the first text book. In 1910,
Saxony established day schools.
This custom was initiated in all
Protestant Germany, and had it not
been for the Thirty Years war
t16lS lGiS) all Europe, yes, the
world would to-day have been
advanced an hundred years in edu-
catioaal advantages. As early as
1910, Sweden took measures to
secure popular education, requiring
every city to provide u school, and
in 1886, the law of Charles NJ.
prohibited marriage between per-
sons who could not read, and ! am
! frank to say that believe il an ex-
cellent law for any country. But |
shall not dwell longer on the gem
eral educational history of coun-
tries, and will come to the year
1713 when the first compulsory
attendance laws were ordered to be
drawn up, KING Frederick Will
liam |. Of Prussia. has the distinc-
tion of issuing that order.
One hundred years had passed
since it was demonstrated that
every human being receives from his
Creator the capabiIIty and right to
be educated and in order that the
child can fulfill It's destiny it mWst
he educated hence the duty of u
State to provide general instruction
for her youths, and when such is
provided have some means at hand
by which to compel attendance !;
for experience has taught that there
are those in every community who
will not accept advantages when
offered. and it is right and Just 10
the county, state, and nation, when
the government is placed in the
hands Of the people, to force cdu
cation upon the careless and dila.
tory. BY education, I dol OF mean
II knowledge alone Of branches
taught. nor is that the real end in
view in cducati0n. Character is
the thing sought, character in the
J broadest, highest phases, character
on which men can rely. Our
school mus dcvelopc all the mega
tive and positive virtues. It's cas-
ier for children fIom our schools to
be sober, industrious, upright, and
viTtneus, than those on the streets
learning TO swear, drink, and
smoke. The tendency must be
away from personal abuse, social
demoralizItion, physical neglect,
idIencss, and political vagabond-
ism"
The law of this State, and most
states in the Union, prohibit per-
sons from rractIcing cruelty upon
animals. 1t would be better to
prohibit parents from dwariing the
minds and dcbasing the characters
Of their children. If the State Will
punish Juvenile criminals, it should
remove the cause ofcrimc. A child
has rights which parent may not
yiVlatc--be may not rob his child Of
u good cdacation. The law. it il
said, will not permit public nui-
sancc, yet in the face of this decIa.
ration it permits the most offensive
nuisance for ignorance is noxlous
and more destructive than bodily
contagious.
The Lutheran synod OF Missouri,
| Ohio and other States says " BY
the law OF nature, as well as by
Divine command, parents are entI-
tied and in duty bound to provide
for the education Of their children.
In case parents neglect their duty
the state is justified IN compelling
them, by appropriate legislation, 20
the discharge Of tboir duty" We
need IN Wcs5 Virginia just such
legislation. We need a greater per
rent Of attendance in our schools.
Compulsory attendance will get
this. We need a thorough revision