Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-16
M UST LEARN
Bill for Compulsory Education
introduced in Legislature.
SCHOOL MEN AGAINST IT
Wahts of Agricultural College Mt Ames
-Considering Larrabee's Successor
ON Board of Control-Quiet at
the State House Today,

SseAsO
Des Moines, Jan. 12.-(Special.)-
Senator w. C. Hayward, of Davenpo,t,
has completed the draft of the compul-
sorry education bill which he will pre-
sent to the legislature in the early part.
OF the session. Senator Hayward is
president of the Davenport school
4 board, and has been petitioned by a
great number of people both in and out
OF Scott county, for the introduction
4 nj such measure. He considers it of
Srear importance 70 ahe educational I'm
tsrests of the state. The bill provides
Tor truant school and for a truant
officer when they may be necessary.
The duty of the officer shall sbe to en-
force attendance. Penalties are pro-
yided to be assessed against the parents
or guardians of the children who ha-
b1tualsy fail to attend school. The
fruant schools are not made compul-
sorry, but directors are given authority
IN their discretion to establish them,
and to have them attended by truant
children and those who may have been
expelled from other schools of the dis
ESiss. A parent or guardian who is
unable to compel a. child to attend
school may be released from penalties
under the act, upon filing statement
Of this inability with the secretary of
the district, accompanied by consent
that the child may be arrested by the
truant officer.
ALI teachers are required to report
s violations of the law to the school
board secretary, ito be acted upon by
the directors in accordance with the
provisions of the law. Habitual and
incorrigible children who cannot be
compelled to attend schools, shall be
sent to the reform schools. Follow
ing is the first section of the law,which
shows its general policy:
Any person having control of any
child between the ages of seven ca
and fourteen (14) years. in proper
physical and mental condition to at
tend school, shall cause such child to
attend some public or private school,
where the common school branches of
reading, writing, spelling, arithmetic,
grammar, and geography are taught
in the English language, or attend up-
on equivalent instruction by compe-
tent teacher elsewhere than at school.
annually, as follows: Every child be-
bween the ages of seven ca and twelve
4 CID years, for the full time the pub
1ic school or schools of the district in
which the child resides, shall be in
SESSION. provided, however, that the
provisions of this act shall not apply
to any child VINO has completed a req
4 ular common school course of study.
such as is taught in the grammar, or
common schools of the district in
which such child resides.
IT any such child shall attend upon
Instructions elsewhere than at regu-
larly conducted or private school, such
instruction snaM be substantially equiv
alent ito instruction given to children
of like age at the public schools of the
district in which such child resides.
4 and such attendance shall be for as
many hours each day, and as many
hours each week as are required Of
the children of like age at the public
schools, and no greater number of hol-
idays and vacations shall be deducted
than are allowed in the public schools.
( Occasional absences from such attend
ance, not amounting to irregular attend
ance, in the fair meaning of the word,
"a SHdH De dllOW6Q upon SuCn excuses as
would be deemed satisfactory in like
cases under the general rules and prac-
tice of the public schools
School men are generally of the opin-
ion that compulsory education is not
the next step toward perfect educa-
honal system. Senator Hayward is OF
the opinion that compulsory educa-
ton, especially in large cities, is OF
great Importance. He. says he is not
very well posted on the needs of the
rural school. his experience being lin
tied largely to work in the cities. He
does not stand in the way of any re.
forms which may be considered as
more necessary than the compulsory
education measure, and is willing to
aid any who may offer other features
by which the system may be bettered
There is considerable feeling among
educators of the state, and those who
I have Investigated the question, thai
y the consolidation of rural schools and
TRANSPORTATION of children is the next
step to be taken. Among these is Su.
perintendent r. C. Barrett. Senator
Hayward is confident he will have a
great deal of support in his educational
movement.
The state university is not the only