The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-10-27
The Compulsory Act.
CONTINUED from last week \

partment of Public instruction pro
ceeded to draft forms of books to be
used by the Assessors in recording
the ages of children. The forms or
books comprehend the following
items, viz: GAY Full name of child,
| |(b) Date ofbirth, (c) Age, (O Sex,
i() Nationality, (D Residence, (g)'
Name of Sub-School District, (M.
Name of parent or persons in paren-
tai relation, G) Postoilicc address of
parent, G) Name of employer ofchild
under l6 years of of age, and 1k)
Postoflice address Of said employer.
Copies Of the above form were
sent to the County Commissioners
OF each County, who then purchased
from the various printing establish
ments sufficient supply tor their
respective counties. The original
books were then placed in the hands
of the Assessors and complete regis
tration ofall children between & and
II years was made. The Assessor
before returning his registry to the
Commissioners presented the book
for inspection to the secretary of the
! School Boord who either approved
or disapprovcd Of the correctness of
the registration made, rs his uig-
mcnt and knowledge Of the matter
would dictate. The book being re-
turned to the Assessor, on Il day pre-
viously appointed by the Commits
sioncrs, all the Asscssorsin thccoun-
ty returned the regis,crSto the Com
missioncrs vino caused an exact copy
Of each list to he made and sen. to
the secretary OF the School Board oi
the several districts.
Quite an animated discussion hq.
arisen in the mind, or many school
auihoritiy, in our county, whether
the lists furnished the teachers Ey
the secretary OF the board SHALL con-
tain all the items relative to the
! identity ofthr child a, So, forth in
thcrcgistration lists furnished the
secretary by the Commissioners, or
whether it shall be Il simple state
mcnt setting forth The names and
ages Of children subject to the COM
pulsorv provisions. The law simply
states that the secretary shall fur
nish Il correct list OF all children in
each sub-district to the teacher or
teachers in said sub-diS,rirt.
In communities where every per-
son is almost intimately y acquainted
with every other person, it is alto
gcthcr needless to require the sccrc-
tary to make an exact copy of tn,
list which has been certified To him
by the Commissioners. 1t is suf-
ficicnt for the secretary to have the
list which establishes beyond the
pcradvcntures of Il doubt the idcn-
+ tity and residence, parcntagc, &c. OF
the child and it is not necessary for
the faithful observance and enforce
ment ofthc law on the part of the
teacher to be supplied with data
such as the sex, nationality, &c. of
the child or children attending his
or her school.
If, however, any secretary desires
to give to the teachers of his district
exact copies Of the list like that
which is made by the Assessor and
furnished by the Commissioners no
fault can be found other than it may
be confusing to young and incXperi-
!. enced teachers and thus the direct
purpose of the law be defeated. In
large towns, cities and communities
, where there isa large foreign cle-
, ment and the diversity of employ
, ment tends to exclusiveuess on the
part of the people comprising the
1 population, it is evident that for the
, certain Identification of the pupil
5 these precautionary measures are
, necessary. But such conditions do
. not exist in any part or portion Of
S our county, hence common sense
: would dictate the furnishing of q
simple statement containing the
0 names and ages Of the pupils resid.
s ing in each sub-district as sufficient
llv annie. OF course eech let r,,s