Evening star., 1895-05-27
Says There Is n Compulsory School
Law.

To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
1 notice In your issue of May q the state
ment that 1--WE have a compulsory educa-
ton law in the District, but there is no
penalty consequent on the violation of it's
provisions. so it is practically imperative"
Section 271 Of the statutes relating to the
District reads as follows: Every person in
the District of Columbia having under con-
troll any child between the ages Of eight
and fourteen years shall annually, during
the continuance of such control, send such
child to some public school in that part cf
the District in which he shall at the time
reside at least twelve weeks, six of which
shall be consecutive, and for every neglect
of such duty the party offending shall for
felt to the use of the school of that portion
of the District in which he resides a sum
not exceeding twenty dollars, to be re-
covered before any justice of the peace of
the District"
Section 2T2 provides that if on the hear
ing. it shall be shown that the person so
offending shall not be able for any reason
to send such child to school, or that it has
attended any other school for the required
infirmity was rot fit to attend school then
the penalty shall not be enforced,
Section 2T3 makes 1t the duty of the trus-
tees or school board to make such arrange
menus Tor the purpose of ascertaining
whether any children of the prescribed
ages are not attending schools as they
shall deem best for the purpose of enforc-
ing the attendance of such children mon
said schools, under the provisions of III.
two preceding sections
From the foregoing it is clear that there
IS penalty for violating the law, and thai
it is the duty of the school board TO SEQ 10
the enforcement Of the same by ascertain
ing what children do not attend and re-
porting them TO the proper official for tho
prosecution OF their parent or guardian.
IT is notorious fact that there are in the
District thousands of children who do NOT
attend school at all. 1t is not because there
IS no penalty, but because no effort is made
by any one to enforce the law
The excuse that We have not sufficient
school buildings for all to attend is NOT a
valid one. Whenever an emergency has
arisen, and the authorities and citizens
have presented the facts to Congress The
latter has responded by largely Increasing
the school faCilities-not to the extent they
ought, II Is true, but so that we have been
able to provide for those who do attend.
including about a thousand non-residentS
If. now, thorough effort were made tn
enforce the attendance of all, it would
again furnish us with the strongest nos
sible grounds for such an appeal to Con-
greSs as would no doubt sscure the neces
sary provision for all. - a small nort;on
of the attention and effo.7 on the part of
the authorities and citizens that is n0v tJe
voted TO other matters were given to the
enforcement and, IL necessary, the amend
ment of this law, INbeleve we would soon
have very much better condition of af-
fairs, and very many less idle children
running about the streets, hanging about
the saloons and worse places, and gradu-
ating first-class hard cases and criminals.
to support whom the decent portion of the
public is heavily taxed. One only needs to
attend the Police Court or walk through
our alleys to be convinced that there is a
demand for such effort, and that our mis-
sionary societies need not go abroad for
subjects on whom to bestow their efforts
They are at our very doors.
w. c. DODGE.