The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-10-12
ENFORCING
SCHOOL, LAWS !
The Many Issues the Officials Must
Contend with.
VACCINATIONS MUST BE MADE
But Night School Pupils Exempted For the
Present-A Marked Decrease in the
Number Of Truaney Cases.
Why Many Children
Are Absent.

Since the announcement made at the last
meeting of the local School Board that the
officials propose to enforce a strict observance
Of the school laws as bearing upon the at
tendance and vaccination of children there
has been no little discussion among parents
as to the extent to which the laws can be en-
forced. This has been especially the case
with regard TO vaccination, some people
maintaining that if their children must be
vaccinated to attend evening schools it
is going to entail loss Of work by the
children at the collieries during the devel-
opment of the vaccination. 1t has been at
tempted in the recent past to make clear to
those concerned that the enforcement of that
part of the vaccination law will not be
strictly adhered to- Under authority of the
School Board Superintendent Cooper will ad-
nit applicants for admission to evening
schools, whether or not they are vaccinated.
In doing this the Board does not ignore the
law, but takes the ground that for the
present it will not enforce it, but will be at
liberty to do so at any time it may deem
necessary.
As to the day schools the policy is quite
different. All pupils must be vaccinated
1t has been learned that some people who
are opposed to vaccination will attempt to
evade the operation by keeping their chill.
dren home from school. In such cases. the
school officials say the parents render them
selves liable to prosecution for misdemeanol
in not obeying the compulsory education
law. A claim has been made in one or two
instances that the law is unconstitutional,
but the question has already been tested,
notably in the Dauphin county courts, and
the law has been upheld.
Superintendent Cooper and Truant Officer
Smith have been particularly active in the
enforcement of the truancy laws and thei1
work is proving quite effective. The modus
operandi is as follows A teacher issues a
notice to the effect that one of her pupils i,
absent from school. This notice is handed
to the Truant Officer who calls at the pupil
home to ascertain the cause of the absence
If it is found that the pupil is a truant he O
she is taken before the superintendent. Tha
official has a peculiar method of persuasion
which seldom fails in effect. As matter O
fact it has not failed thus far Evidence o.
this is given by report of Truant Officer
Smith on his work of yesterday. Briefly, il
was as follows: Absentess, 90. Truants
none
In this connection there are developments
which appeal to the charitable. OF the
twenty children absent from the schools yes
terday not one was found to be a truant
Many were absent on account of Hines.
and large proportion on account oi
not having proper clothes OF footwear They
are children of parents who have not YET
succeeded in sufficiently recovering from the
effects of the hard times to be able to provide
these necessaries Of life. 1t is stated that
there are several worthy families in need Of
assistance in this direction. OF course, the
law does not recognize complaints of thi.
kind as legal excuse and it can be readily
understood that the school authorities have
very unpleasant duty to perform in som,
cases.