The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-02-15
AN ACT
To Compel the Attendance of Chill
dren Upon the Public Schools.


Mcmillan upon the subject of com
pulsorv attendance upon the public |
schools of this State:
Section /. Be it enacted by the !
General Assembly of Maryland met,
and it is hereby enacted by the au-
thority of the same, that every par
ent, guardian or other person IN
this Commonwealth having control
or charge of a child or children be-
tween the age of eight and fourteen
years, shall be required to send
such child or children to a school in
which the common English branches
are taught, during at least sixteen
weeks of each year in which schools
of their respective districts shall be
in session, unless such child or
children shall be excused from such
attendance by the board of trustees
of the school district in which par
ent, guardian or other person re-
side, upon the presentation to SAID
board of satisfactory evidence,
showing such child or children are
prevented from attendance at school
or application to study by mental
or physical or other urgent reasons;
provided, that in case there be no
public school in session within two
miles of the nearest travelled road
of any person within the school dis
trict. he or she shall not be liable to
the provisions of this Act.
Sec. 2. For every neglect of duty
imposed by the first section of this
Act, the person offending shall be
guilty of misdemeanor, and shall,
upon conviction thereof before Il
Justice of the Peace or Alderman,
forfeit fine not exceeding two dol
lars on the first conviction and u
fine not exceeding five dollars for
each subsequent conviction; pro-
vided, upon condition the defend
ant or defendants may appeal to the
Court of Quarter Sessions of the
proper county within thirty days
upon entering into recognizance
with one surety for the amount of
fine and costs; provided, however,
that before such penalty shall be
incurred, the parent, guardian or
other person liable therefor shall
be notified in writing Of such liabil-
lty, and shall have opportunity by
compliance with the requirements
of this Act, then and thereafter to
avoid the imposition ofsuch penalty.
Sec. 3. 1t shall be the duty of
the teacher of every district to make
IN a substantial book, provided by
the State for that purpose, a careful
and correct list of all children be-
tween the ages of eight and fourteen
years within his or her districts,
giving the name, age and residence
IS ~anh, and whether in charge of Il
parent, guardian or other person,
together with such other informa-
ton as may be deemed necessary,
which enumeration shall he re-
turned by said teacher to the County
Examiner, whose duty it will be to
certify to the School Commissioners
of the county correct list of all
children in said district who are
subject to the provisions of this
Act, and 1t shall be the duty OF said
Commissioners to at once proceed
in accordance with the Act.
Sec. 4. 1t shall be the duty of
each teacher in his or her school
district to report to the School Ex-
amlner Of said county at the close of
each school month or quarter, the
names of all children on the list
previously furnished to the Exam
iner who were absent without salts
factory cause for five successive
days during the month or quarter
for which the report may be made,
when, if it shall appear that any
parent or guardian or other person
having control of any chlld or chill
dren, shall haye failed to comply
with the provisions of this Act after
one notification in writing as pro-
Vided for in section 2, the Exam
iner, IN the name of the Commas
sioners, shall proceed against the
offending party or parties, in ac-
cOrdance with law, by complaint
before any Alderman oy Justice of
the Peace; provided, However, the
aforesaid penalty shall not be i'm
posed if it shall be satisfactorily
proven, upon the trial of the case,
that the parent or guardian or other
person so neglecting vas unable by
reason of poverty or other satisfac-
tory excuse to comply with the re-
qulrements of this Act; provided
further, that if sufficient cause be
shown for the neglect of the re-
quirements of this Act, the costs of
said proceeding shall be paid out of
the district funds upon a proper
voucher approved by the School
Commissioners.