The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-11-17

COMPULSORY EDUCATION.
Report of the Committee on Teachers
and Salaries.

Report of the Committee on Teachers
and Salaries.
Mr.. President:-The question of compul-
sorry education, referred TO this commit
tee, has been under consideration and the
| following report is submitted:
/ First: The law governing the question
/ is as follows. being An Act Requiring the
! Education Of all Healthy Children" chap
/ ter 49, Laws Of 1874.
Section l. That every parent, guard
/ ian, or other person in the state Of Kan
! sas, having any control of any child or
! children between the ages of eight and
fourteen years, shall be required to send
such child or children to a public school
or private school, taught by a competent
instructor for a period Of at least twelve
weeks in year, six weeks of which time
shall be consecutive, unless such child or
children are excused from such attend
ance by the board of the school district
or the Board Of Education of the city in
which such parent, guardian or person
having control resides. upon its being
shown to their satisfaction that such
parent or guardian was not able by
reason Of poverty, TO clothe such child
properly, or that such childs bodily or
prevent his attendance at school or appH-
cation TO study Tor the period required,
or that such child or children are taught
at home in such branches as are usually
taught in the public schools, subject to
the same examination as other pupils Of
the district or city in which the child re-
sides, or that he has already acquired
the ordinary branches required by law.
or. no fe foTr n,
two miles by the nearest Travelled road
Sec. Any parent, guardian or other
person falling to comply with the provis-
ions Of this act shall upon conviction be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor. and
fined in a sum not less than five nor more
than ten dollars for the first offense, nor
less than ten nor more than twenty dol
lars for the second and every subsequent
onense. Said action shall be prosecuted
in the name of the state of Kansas be-
fore any court Of competent jurisdiction,
and all fines so collected shall be paid
into the county treasury for the support
of common schools.
Sec. 3. 1t shall be the duty of any
school director or president of the Board
of Education to inquire into all cases of
neglect Of the duty prescribed in this act.
the reason if any, therefor, and shall
forthwith proceed to secure the prosecu-
ton of any offense occurring under this
act; and any director or president neg
lecting to secure such prosecution for
such offense within ten days after
written notice has been served on him by
any taxpayer in said district or city, I'M
less the person so complained Of shall be
cy-r ~ Nv ha
education Tor reasons hereinbefore stat
ed, shall be deemed guilty Of a INSIDE
meanor, and liable to a fine Of not less
than twenty nor more than fifty dollars.
which fine shall be prosecuted for and in
the name of the state Of Kansas. and
such fine when collected shall be paid
into the county treasury as in section
two of this act"
Your committee finds, that while the
City of Wichita is operating her schools
under special act. the act above quoted
is general in its application and as much !
so TO Wichita as to any other city of the |
tirst-class in the state. Therefore, the /
President of the Board of Education of
the City Of Wichita is required by said
act to enforce its provisions within this
city and liable to conviction for a mis-
Your committee further finds that there |
are quite large number of children in /
this city. who are qualified under said /
act to attend but are not found in our
schools public or private.
Wherefore. your committee recon- 7
mends as follows:
First-That this report be published in /
the city papers, at least twice per week
fIar- fxa~e s~-,
parents and others in control of children
coming within the provisions Of said
Compulsory School Attendance Act. living
in the city. be and hereby are urged and /
respectfully required to have their child
zen enter the schools of the city. at once.
and if prevented, by poverty. from so
doing, that they report the fact to the
Secretary of the Board of Education.
whose office is in the City Building. and
provisions viii be promptly made for
necessary clothing and books to permit
such child or children to attend school.
The Associated Charities Of the CITY have
kindly volunteered TO provide such cloth
ing and books.
Second-That the President Of the Board
Of Edueation confer with and request the
cooperation of the police authorities Of
the city, in the effectual enforcement of
said act
Third-That all parents. guardians and
au good citizens unite with the board in
administering this law. which has for its
purpose the lesssning of youthful
vasrants. decreasing matured tramps. tho
improving OF public morals. lettering
citizenship and the lessening Of our taxes
FOR maintenance and punishment OF vio-
lators 81 an laws
Respectfully submitted
RODoLPH HATFIELD.
n a. MCCLELLAN.
LEVI HORNOR.