New-York tribune., 1896-12-27
REFORMATION OF TRUANTS.
SCHOOL. FOR THE PURPOSE TO BIZ
rsTABIJSHED IN NEW-YORk
ACTION OF THE BOARD OF EDrcArioN NJ 10
LAST MEETTNG-THE WORK TO BE D'Nr
WILL THE TRrANT SCHOOL IN BROOM
LYN SERVE FOR THE WHOLE

LAST MEETTNG-TIiE WORN ~ DE- D
Will. THE rRrAxr SCHOOL IN BROOK
rYN SERVE FOR THE WHOLE
OF THE GREATER CITY?
The decision Of the Board Of Education 70 's'N"-
,,h ,ruar. school in this city is the carrying OUT
=, , r,o, that has been under consideration iot
come fine Such school is deemed indispehsaO'e
bv those who realize that any attenp, 10 '"'o''
the Compulsory Education law VIII ne oi "'.'' 49,
unless provision Is made for tho proper 'ra'i's ~
ros who norsistently refuse to attend school Inc
members of the Board OF Education are nov "'''.
- .h,, ,oi,. and two or three Of those VINO Voteh
In favor of the appropriation of $4,000 FOR the es'd"
lishment Of such a school did so against 'n'i '''S
Judgment and only because they did not "'Sn ~
stand in the way Of experiment IN tnat dir'c'o''
shouId a plan be brought forward later for inc
carving on Of the experiment on larger soa'e' Z"
would nrobabIv meet with their opposition-unless
i'm the mean time their views undergo chahSe-Dr'
Il is not likely that their antagonism would be suii-
cient to defeat the plan.
There IS a law on the statute nook OF Inv "'
,,hor,zinq tho establishment Of such school in
Ncw-York city. and some time ago pan WIS
formed for using building In the upper part or '"e
oi,, for a plsce Of detention for truants That had
to be abandoned. and no definite action mas pee"
taken since until AT the last meeting or the hod'u
resolution was passed to cxpend $4,000 for property
in East Twontv-frst-st.. to be used for THIS pur-
pose
CRIMINAL ASSOCIATIONS DREADED.
A, nresent the only place to which truants can
ne sent is the Juvenile Asylum. and to that th'y
can he committed only by the city magistrates
,rso magistrates are unwilling TO send ordinary
truants there because OF the criminal associations
thov are in danger Of forming. and hence II may ne
said that practically no provision IS maze LOT 'ne
care of truants. The Board of Education employs
a large staff Of efficient truant officers. or at~hu-
ance officers they are properly termed p". III
oxisting circumstances they are able to accomplish
oou,orativelv little Another difficulty in the way
of enforcing the Compulsory Education law l. the
lack Of sufficient school accommodations. whch inc
BOARD of Education is now striving earnestly 10 re-
move
In dealing with trulnts an important point 10 De
brrc IN mind IS that there fathers and mothers
ho would Ike TO get their boys committed 10 some
institution to save The expense OF caring loF 'He''
and so a careful investigation Is needed N each
A BROOKLYN EXPERIMENT.
II has been suggested that after the consolidation
NJ New-York and Brooklyn the Truant Schooi d'-
ready established In the latter city might oo V"
,argad so a. to provide for all the truants or
Greater New-York It IS favoraby situated in most
roenects and IS capable Of extension. The present
building IS large enough for 100 boys. but since II
has been under the control of the Board OF f'uuO"-
tion the number Of inmates has not exceeded eish'y
II is only a little moro than year that TINS mas
boon properly speaking. school for ruants. For
merIv # was known the Truant Home. ana 10 II
Young criminals were sent AS well as truah's
while the educational authorities had no control
over II Rv a law passed in 1925 II was made an
institution for the Of truants only ana since
then 1t has been managed by the Board OF Educa-
ZION with excellent results There are ten acres or
land connected with the building. and by means OF
additional building; several hInuieu uudhlS 'ou'u
easily be cared for
The plan of making this the truant school for the
whole of the enlarged city has been received with
favor by those members of the New-York Board of
Education to whose attention it has been brought
although it has not yet received official considera
ton one suggestion made in this relation is that
the Rrooklvn Board should arrange to receive tru-
ants from this city far as the capacity Of the
existing building will permit on that head 1t
should be said that applications for the care OF tru
ants from other cities were recently made to the
Brooklyn Board and were not favorably regarded.
as II was felt that the smaller the number of such
BOYS thrown together the better it would be for all
concerned
In reference to the proposed school In East
Twenty-hrst-st members of the Board in this city
recognize that the city proper is not the best place
ought to be situated in the country at least some
little distance from the city but they look on what
is proposed as only beginning and believe
that IT is best to begin Oh modest scale.
ASSISTANT sUPERINTENDENT MARBLES
VIEWS.
Assistant Superintendent A. p. Marble has given
considerable attention to the problem of dealing
with truants. which was brought under his obser-
vation while he serving as Superintendent OF
Schools in Worcester. Mass. where Il truant school
is maintained by the county. The conditions there
not favorable. however. inasmuch as the
truant school contiguous to the almshouse. and
the associations of those detained In 1t not OF
q h,St In tfnp rhoc c,ia I,,+,
two ago Mr. Marble said
while do not know just what 1t is proposed to
do with the building which the Board of Educat ton
has decided to purchase. 1t seems clear to that
a truant school properly speaking. ought not to be
placed IN the city Such building is needed here
undoubtedly as n place OF detention for boys ap-
pretended by the attendance officers. while their
records are being looked up etc. There a mum
Der OF things TO be considered In connection with
TINS matter In the first place, II Is important that
boys who refuse to attend school should be prop
erly disciplined and surrounded with influences
tending TO reform them. But 1t is also important
10 guard against sending 10 a truant school boys
whose parents may he desirous Of getting them
committed TO some institution for few months for
the sake OF escaping the cost OF supporting them
Where the parents consent to the sending of a boy
10 such a place. thorough investigation Is needed
TO learn the real condition of things.
The examination of a case should be made by
me attendance officers who would thus be charged
with functions bordering the judicial. and ON
their reports the Superintendent OF Schools should
nave the power OF committing truants TO the
school. | would not have the Intervention of the
magistrates In any case. Nor could the Supern
tendent have time to examine into the facts I'm
each case for himself; he would have to take the
word and the recommendation OF the attendance
officer. unless tho circumstances should be cxrrn
tional. During the examination. as hay. said
would have the boys detained at a place SET mar,
for the purpose in the city. ''
THE PRISON IDEA DEPRECATED
THE truant school itself should be outside or ,bo
city. and It seems 10 that II should NOT b,ya
the character OF prison | would do ov,,v ,,,b
barred windows and high walls. nor would have
regular guards posted think the best way is TO
snow confidence In the boys and 10 put then N,
their honor. as II were or course there must hn
restraints rewards and punshments and tho uk
ana those boys who run away should he hrou"h,
back every time In fact II would he 4 good n1aa
To nave guards, not In uniform at unexnert,d
places. TO seize and return those trvlng 20 ra,
away. II would be well. In my oplnion ,o e., ~
uniform for tho boys In the nnti,r. % " 'irf'