The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1899-10-12
REQUIREMENTS OF THE COM
PULSORY EDUCATION LAW
AND HOW ENFORCED.

y
individuals are responsible for
it's enforcement, the West Ches-
ter News says:
The Compulsory Educationlaw
was passed in 1895 and amended
in 1897. The latter act made
number of important changes in
the law, almost, indeed, supply
ing the | lace of the original act.
AS the law stands at present, ev-
cry parent, guardian, or other
person having charge of a child
between the ages of s and six
teen years is required to see that
such child attends a school in
which the common English
branches are taught at least 40
per cent. of the time the school is
open, unless the child is excused
from such attendance by the
board Of directors upon presen-
tation of satisfactory evidence of
mental or physical or other ur-
gent reason. If there be no pub
lie school within two miles by
the nearest travelled road such
person is excused, or if able to
produce certificate of teacher
that the child is being instructed
in other than public school in
the English branches, he is also
excused.
A child between the ages of 13
and 16 years, who is regularly en-
gagged in any useful employment
or service is excused.
The person in parental rela-
tion neglecting to send child to
school is declared guilty of a mis-
demeanor and on conviction be-
fore a Justice of the Peace or an
Alderman, shall be fined not ex-
ceeding 50 for the first otfense
and not exceeding So for every
subsequent offense.
When the Assessor has made
his enumeration of the children
in the district and returned the
same to the County Commission
ers, these officers certify the list
to the Secretary of the School
Board and the Board must fur
nish the teacher of each school
with correct list of all children
in his or her district subject to
the provisions of the act.
The School Board has author
ity to appoint an attendance Off
Ger to look after truant children,
and neglectful parents, but if
they do not make such appoint
ment it is the duty of the Secre-
tary of the Board to look after
them. The teacher must report
Immediately to the Secretary of
the Board and once a month
thereafter the names of all chill
lren absent from school five days
the month without satisfactory
excuse.
The first duty of the attend
lnce officer or Secretary of the
Board is to notify in writing the
parent or guardian in the delin-
quency and thus give an oppor-
tunity to comply with the law in
the future and avoid the penalty.
If the child is then not sent to
school or it's education properly
accounted for a complaint should
oe made before a Justice of the
eace or Alderman. The Secre-
ary or attendance officer, if con-
need of neglecting his duty, is
ub'e It to fine of $25.
The seventy percentum of the
school year which children are
required to attend begins at the
beginning of the school term un-
less the School Board fixes a diff
ferent time at which it is to be-
gin.
There are some other provis-
IONS in the law, but those given
cover the portions most import
ant for public information.
Incorrigible children can be
equired to attend a separate
ehool, where one is provided or
nay by due process of law be
sent to the House of Refuge or
rher institutions for theirreform
nj special training.