The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-06
COMPULSORY SCHOOL LAW.
Suggestion as to How 1t May He Made
Effective and Popular.

To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
In Sundays edition of the Journal / no
tice that Superintendent ID. NJ. Geeting, in
making his estimate of gains in the schools
of the State on account of the compulsory
educational law, states that Noblesville has
an increase of three hundred. Mr.. Geeting
has been misinformed or is guessing at the
results. AS a member of the School Board
of this city let me speak from the records.
The enrolment the first day of the school
year 1897 was just seventy-four more than
in 1896 This is no more than the natural
increase in the population as shown by the
enumeration last spring. The pupils enter
ing school since the opening, three weeks
ago. are no more than at the same time
last year. So the claim of an increase in
school attendance cannot be attributed to
the new law. The fact of the case is that
Noblesville has very little use of the new
law, as the record of attendance last year
will show that not over per cent of the
children between the ages of eight and
fourteen were out of school. / am in favor
of a compulsory law properly and wisely
enforced. But there is a right way and
wrong way of doing educational work. as
we'll as any other kind of business. In the
great efforts of the promoters of this new
law to bolster up its merits and impose adj
ditional burdens upon the people the facts
may be stretched q little. Additional taxes
are demanded and a whole lot of jobs are
to be held, and therefore ii becomes neces-
sary for those interested in these things to
make a long pull and pull all together for
the new law. There is where the danger
lies. The people and school. officials must be-
on their guard and hedge the system
around with proper and wise restrictions.
The purposes and intent of the new law
are salutary and right, and, therefore, any
abuse of its provisions should be frowned
upon and cut off at the very beginning of
its operation. In my opinion the truant Off
GERS could be dispensed with until after the
holidays The law requires that children at
tend at least twelve weeks in the year, but
1T is optional with parents whether they go
school year. However If the law had fixed
a certain time at which the law should be
operative, there Is another phase Of the
pie of the State are usually law-abiding,
and after the law is fuzzy known by all
there will be but little need of it's rigid en-
forcement by truant officers. A kind and
humane effort should first be made by the
teachers and trustees. Trustees are paid
their per diem for putting in time" and
could easily devote some of that time TO
this matter Having the enumeration and
enrolment at hand, it would be an easy
matter to find out who are not attending
school and are affected by the law. A little
effort on the part of the trustees, cooper
ating with the teachers, would bring nearly
all into the schools The kindly offices OF
teacher and trustee will do the work better
than the truant officer who has the odor
and bearing of the high sheriff or town
marshal. IT. after proper efforts are made
by teachers and trustees, there still
some children out of school who refuse to
obey the law, then the township trustee or
trustees of towns or city corporations
should report the names to the county SUI
perintendent, and he can direct the truant
officer to take charge of such cases. This
plan, believe, is the humane one, and the
business can be done in a systematic, bust
ness manner. This thing of hiring a lot of
truant officers and turning them loose upon
the public to put in time" and feed upon
the taxpayers is not the purpose of the law.
We have too many time-servers now. The
school machinery is cumbersome and expen-
sive enough now without adding any more
appendages to it. We have but one truant
officer in Hamilton county, and it looks
like his services would not be needed half
the time. How will those counties fare that
have half a dozen such officers on their
hands? The great trouble with all our legis-
lation is that it creates more offices and
adds to the taxes of the people, / desire to
say again that am in favor of compul-
sorry education, but believe the school ma
chnery is already sufficient to carry out the
provisions of the law without so much ex-
ira expense. WILL H. CRAIG
Noblesville, Ind, Oct T.