The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-11-29
TO CATCH TRUANTS.
Proposed Enforcement of Com
pulsory School Law.
NOT ROOM FOR AL cnrLpREs.
fsreesfaee Of Atfendanee ~ High a
Where Law IL Ksfereed, bat i.oee
More Could Get In

The subject OF compulsory ate enhance
At school. which was brought up NJ the
meeting OF the school board on Tuesday
evening by DIR. y. A. ChurchiiI. naturally
raises the question OF whzt are the pro-
Visions OF the compulsory education Isw,
ana, u we're enforced, whether there
would be sufficient accommodation for all
tie ehiidren who would thu. be driven into
The schools. Superintendent r. j. Barnard
said yesterday that in such case the se-
comuodstions would have 20 be materially
increased If the law was enforced.
Although Mr.. Barnard says that the
percentage d. attendance, to school popu-
ls,ion Is Is high in this city as ia states
where compulsory education is enforced,
yet he thinks such measures would in
crease the attendance by 100, and nsces-
state an increase of 20 per cent. in school
accommodation.
Mr.. Barnard said that the census taken
last June by the school authorities showed
that there were in the citv 8 200 children
between tho ages of and 81 years. Today
In round numbers there are $500 enrolled
In the public schools and about go al
tending the private UNCONVENTIONAL and
parochlal schools. which gives a total OF
b.60 out of 9. 80 Of school age. According
TO the school census Of June %. 1898. taken
Tor the scaool year ending June -, 1894,
there were Q sa3 children of school age, a
decrease of 500. while the enrolment was
t.6aI, which vas an increase of 22l over
the year before. showing that the per cent
age OF school population attending the
public schools is steadily increasing. the
actual gain being 81 per cent Mr. Bar
nsrd then continued:
There Is a compulsory education Law,
which provides that all parents. guard
ians and other persons having the care
aud custody of children between the ages
OF and 10 years shall send them 20 school
for a. least three months in the year. If
they do not do this, they are liable to
prosecution for misdemesnor. and on con-
yiction can be fined not less than $40 or
more than SIS The fines collected, il
Is provided. will be paid into the school
fund.
The compulsory education Law 10 not
enforced In Seattle. but the per cent. of
the school population between and Is
years of age attending the public schools
10 e 2-5, while in Massachusetts and Con-
necticut. where the law is persistentiy
and systematically enforced. the percent
age is y, a comparison that speaks vol
umes for the schools of Seattle.
IF the compulsory law was enforced II
would increase the number of children
attending the schools BY fully loo. IL
would necessitase al addition of fully 10
per cent. 10 the present accommodations.
and would add considerably to the ex
penditures.
What do think about having truant
officsrsf think the effect would be good.
Anything that will increase ths efficiency
OF the schools and which will tend TO
lessen irregularities Is beneficial TO botn
the scholars and the teachers. If one
scholar lags behind the others In a class
because Of his frequent absence, ii tends 10
keep the entire class behind and has q
certain effect on the teacher. At first
three or tour truant officers would be nee
essary, but after the system had been in
angurated for while the number might
be lessened. Once the truants learned
that they would be compelled 10 attend, il
would tend To lessen their attempts TO re-
main away from school"