The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-30

The bill recently introduced IN tne Staee
Senate at Albany, amending the truant
law of New York. is rather interesting
in some of its provisions. 1t is probable
that the general public does not know
just how the law actually stands in that
State. and why public school education,
about which so much is said, is not more
effective.
Compulsory education in New York does
not begin until the age of eight, and when
a child is twelve years of age he may
be taken out OF school and employed for
the whole year with the exception OF
eighty days. when he is required TO at
tend school. This arrangement is con-
tinued for two years after which the child
is exempt from attendance at school.
The proposed amendment forbids the
non attendance of children between the
ages of twelve and fourteen. and requires
attendance at seven years old instead of
eight
II would be interesting TO know how the
law OF New York compares with that Of
other States in this respect. There are
.s-flI
TO 20 to school at all. and men and women
may be found unable to read and write,
simply because their parents were too
poor. too ignorant, or too prejudiced to
make any effort for their education. In
some cases the State itself is unable TO
provide school houses and teachers for all
the children in outlying districts. without
encroaching on the funds appropriated for
normal schools and colleges partly sup
ported by public money. In such States
the argument is that the tax paying class
ought not to be deprived of the privilege
OF sending their children to high schools
and State normal schools merely that the
children of the non-tax- paying classes
may obtain an elementary education. 1t
is argued that education does not lessen
crime, and that mans claims TO good
citizenship are not greatly affected by the
mere fact of his knowing how TO read and
write At the other extreme are States in
which all children are required TO attend
school at seven years of age. or even
earlier. either by law or by the force of
public opinion, and TO continue in school
until they are fourteen or fifteen years
old and have reached the higher grades
OF the grammar school.
II is not possible TO arrive at any def
mite and unsuitable conclusion regarding
the benefits of these different systems of
education. because they are complicated
with so many other forces. social religious,
racial, AMI educational. In many sections
where there is strict legislation regarding
the schools, the mass OF the population
is foreign. and at least half of the children
come OF fathers and mothers who did not
know how 10 read or write English and
whose traditions are more or less anti
American. These children will probably
grow up to be fairly good citizens, and
some of them may be brilliant SCHOLARS,
but generally speaking. the average of
scholarship viii not be as good, nor, per-
haps, the social and political standards as
high. as among native Americans whose
fathers and grandfathers were fairiy well
educated both az to head and hands. Again,
a country in which there is little indus
trial competition, and all classes of society
are reasonably contented, will not have so
much political warfare and corruption as
one in which discomfort. oppression, and
a spirit of revolt prevail.
There are, however, two or three points
in this proposed amendment which are
worth close attention. Here We have a
system of public education which is ex-
pected TO transform the child of an Hit
crate European peasant, who speaks no
language hu; his own, and is quite igno-
rant Of American institutions. into good
citizen of the Republic. This child, we Will
say. is sent to school at the age Of eight.