The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-12-04
Educational
Department
y. }. Finley, sapt. Of the city
schools, Editor.

@~A~~~ eN@~ @~~~~s e~~~s$ ~@~~
Rulings on Compulsory Education
Law by Hon. Richard c. Barrett.
Superintendent of Public
instruction.
About the first of October Mr.. Bar
rett published sundry rulings on the
law for compulsory attendance from
which we quote some of the leading
points.
Since the year for school purposes
began on the third Monday of March
when the new board entered upon its
duties, those who expect to send their
children twelve consecutive weeks, -
as required by the law, should enter
them at once, if they have not already
done so. Counting the three weeks
remaining before the winter vacation
there are now just thirteen weeks left
in which to get schooling. Mr.. Bar
rett says: las the present school
year for school purposes will end with
the organization of the new board in
March, 1903, all children subject to
the law should attend for at least
twelve consecutive school weeks be-
tore that time.
Section one specifies that the Com
mon school branches Of reading, writ
ing, spelling, grammar, arithmetic,
physiology and United States His
tory must be taught in school to
meet the requirements Of the law for
compulsory education. The law does
81 hot Nf
year the child shall attend for twelve
consecutive weeks, leaving that to the
discretion of parent or guardian. But
all parties charged with the enforce
ment of the law should urge parents
and guardians to send their children
at the beginning Of the year.
The fact that parents are too poor
to purchase textbooks will not be an
excuse under the law to keep a child
at home, because the law provides in
Section 27S3 that the board Of direc-
tors may furnish school books to in
digent children when they are likely
to be deprived of the benefits of school
unless so aided.
The law for compulsory education
does not apply to such children as are
not in proper physical and mental con-
dition to attend school. Any person
having control of child, who is ply
sically or mentally unable to attend
school, either public or private, is re-
CURED to furnish proof by affidavits
as to the physical or mental condition
of such child.
We do not find any conflict between
the law for compulsory attendance
and the requirement that pupils jhall
be vaccinated in order to attend pub
lie school. The fact that parent
may object to the vaccination of his
child will not excuse him for not COM
plying with the compulsory law, for
the reason that he has the option of
sending the child to public, private
or parochial school," or to attend up
on equivalent instruction by a COM
petent teacher elsewhere than school"
The requirements of the law for
compulsory attendance do not inter-
Rere with the authority Of the board
to expeI any scholar from school for
the causes named in section 1882 of
the code. And such action Of the
board will not excuse the parent or
guardian for not complying with the
law by sending the child to a private
or parochial school, OF by having him
attend upon equivalent instruction by
a competent teacher elsewhere than
school"
Under Section 5, the board may APP
point one or more truant officers
whose duty it shall be to report vio-
Nations of the law to the Secretary
and see to the enforcement of the
same. Such truant officers may be
appointed at the annual meeting in
each year. And we do not think it is
the intent Of the law to prevent the
board from appointing such officers
at any other meeting, when the inter
erests Of the district require such ap-
pointments. When no truant officer is
appointed, the duty of enforcementfalls
wholly upon the directors and the
president Of the board.
1t is the duty of persons charged
with the enforcement Of the law to
sue for and recover the penalties"
provided. But it is evident that suit
should not be commenced against any
parent or guardian for violating the
law until the time has passed for COM
plying with the same. Any citizen
may serve notice of violations of the
law.
1t is the duty Of the truant officer
to "apprehend and take into custody
without warrant any child Of the age
of seven to fourteen years inclusive"
who belongs to either of the following
classes: % Any child who habitual-
ly frequents or loiters about public