The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-01-28
COMPULSORY EDUCATION,
Some Figures on the Subject


Some Figures on the Subject.
Representative Farr at Pittsburg: "If
we deem it necessary to keep out undeslr-
able classes Of immigrants, because Of
their poverty and ignorance is 1t not of
the greatest Importance that the chill
dren of those who are here get some in
struction? Their parents have very linn
tied knowledge of our customs and laws
They cannot talk English. Most eager
for the rights of citizenship, in many pOr-
tions of our state they are now the bal
ance of power and the day is near when
in many places they will control the cleo
tions. The police courts and criminal
lists are burdened with their misdongs.
They have lowered the dignity of labor
and reduced wages. They are with us
however, ii not of us, and the process of
their assimilation must be patiently
awaited; but what of their children? Shall
they follow the lines of their parents? &?
Few of them are being educated. The
illitcrate sons and daughters of these Ill
lterateS Will be more dangerous than their
parents. They will imbibe some of the
sharpness and shrewdness natural 10 the
country, and these qualities will add
power to their inherent tendencies. Safe
ty demands that they be educated. In
struCtion in the English language will
give them different conception of life
and citizenship. They will no longer live
as their parents lived and they will be-
come more useful to the state and to
themselves. DO not let us be deceived,
however, into thinking that compulsory
education is necessary only for those pco-
pie, though that would be a sufficient rea-
son for such a law. There are thousands
Of children of native parents who can
f1.t ,,,,1
education is enforced. The human heart
is fun of kindness; charitable societies
and charitable individuals vie with each.
other in their efforts to aid the poor The
most permanent good can be done, how
ever, by helping an unfortunate person TO
help himself. The boy or girl who faces
the world without any education con-
fronts a merciless storm.
"Pennsylvana is almost alone among
the progressive states that occupies this
remarkable position. Nearly thirty other
states have compulsory education The
people Of the keystone state have yet to
follow the injunction to them from its
founder, Educate the people, so far as
its universal application is concerned.
At the session Of '9l, in advocacy of the
bill | then Introduced, | stated that i'll
iteraCy was on the increase in Pennsyl-
Vania, and that at least one hundred
thousand children between and L. years
Of age were not in attendance at any
school i'm this state. No one attempted
to disprove these statements. Some edu-
Gators doubted the fact that illiteracy
was Increasing, but they acknowledged
the claim that there was shocking show
ing of non-attendants. ! have no reason
TO change my opinion az expressed at that
IGtiIuuttI tal
there were one hundred thousand non-at-
tendants of children under II years of
age who should be at school, and the
hOrdcs Of iow-grade and ilitcrate people
that for some years previously had been
fOClling from foreign Shores into this
state on account of the opportunities of
fered to unsklled, and not Over-intelli-
gent labor, more than satisfy me that
there was Justification for that claim.
Statistics will strengthen that position.
The census of 1890 shows n difference of
over per cent. in the increase of the
population of Pennsylvania, and in the in
crease in attendance of all of Pcnnsyl-
VaniaS schools. The census reports also
show that there We're In Pennsylvania in
1890 liGISS children between and II
years of age. In that year there were not
more than l,0OOO00 children in all the
schools of this state, showing the start
ling discrepancy of 4G7,SlS children be.
tween 3 and II years of age who did not go
to any school. Let MS divide this unit into
twelve parts The children between and
II years would comprise two-thIrds of
467, ,SlS, namely 3ll,S7S those between and
u years of age One-half of 4G7, ,SlS, or 2SJ,-
9O9 those between and IL years of age
who would come under the educational
bill passed by the last Legislature would
comprise onc-third of iG7,SlS or lj5,g39
Between the years. of s and 13 there would
be iivc-twclfths of iG7SlS. or l9i92i chill
dren between and 10 years of age who do
not 20 to school.
previous to the last session of tire leg
lslature the factory law prevented the em-
p,oymen, of children IN breakers or in
factories under II years of age. The ed
ucational bill was made to conform to the
factory law, so as to 90 hand I'm haud
with that work. The educational bill also
contained a section providing for an
enumeration by the assessors of all chill
dren between and t. years of age This
census, which Is essential for the proper
enforcement of the compulsory educa-
tional bill, would also be of great service
In carrying out the purpose of the fac
tory law, and would prevent It's abuse by
parents who get little boys to work mis-
representing the ages of the children. At
the last session of the legislature the age
limit for certain kinds of employment
was increased to 10 years from l9, TO
work In harmony with that change It
would be wise to add one year to the
period OF years in which parents should he
required to educate their children. The
factory law has done excellent service. 1t
is n just law. Its purposes are humane
and are endorsed by public sentiment.
pIu iu Ia
principle. 1t practically says lnasmuch
as "a child under 10 years of age cannot
work, rather than have him run the
streets or live In idleness, with its danger
Gus tendencies, he must go to school, II
we say that children between s and "a
years shall be educated, we have n vast
army to reach who do not 20 to any
school. To repeat, the census returns
show: Between Gand ~ years of age who
do not go to any school, 233, ,90i; between
and II years of age who do not