Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-05-30
STATE HOUSE.
Educational Department and
the Truant Laws.
Vital Statistics of Maine Soon to
Be Published.
General Farnham Will Assist in Re.
ceiving SchIey.

u udHcy are very stringent, and thew
are llVed up TO quite generally through
out the State. In some places. how
ever, on account of the laXity of school
olilcials, the laws are to some extent
ignored. The State educational de-
partment calls attention to the laws on
the subject as follows:
Every child between the ages of 7
ana ii years inclusive shall attend
some public day school during the time
such school is in session, provided he
is not excused by school officers for
| necessary absence or because of re-
celVlng equivalent instruction for a
hHe period of time in an approved pri-
Nate school, certificate of attendance
TO be signed by person or persons hav-
ing such school III charge, or further
provided that his physical or mental
condition makes it ineXpedient for him
TO attend such school
Parents or guardians who fail to
comply with this act shall forfeit a
sum not exceeding twenty-five dollars
or shall be imprisoned not exceeding
thirty days.
ANY child, who without sufficient ex-
cuse, shall be absent from school at six
or more consecutive sessions during
any term, shall De deemed an habituaI
truant, and the truant officer when di-
fected by the committee or superin-
tendent in writing shall enforce the
above provisions by complaint against
The person having control of said
child.
Any person having control of a child
who is an habitual truant and being
IN any way responsible for such tru-
ancy, and any person who induces a
chlid 10 absent himself from school, or
harbors or cOnceals such child when he
IS absent, shall forfeit not exceeding
twenty dollars for the use of the pub
lie schools OF the city or town in which
such child resides, to be recovered by
the truant officer on complaint, or such
person shall be imprisoned not exceed
ing thirty days An habitual truant,
IL boy, may be committed to the State
Reform School, or, if girl, to the
state Industrial School for Girls. Po-
lice or municipal courts, and trial JUS
tees shall have jurisdiction of the Of
lenses above described.
Cities and towns shall annually elect
| one or more persons to be designated
truant officers, whose duty it shall be
to inquire into the causes of the alb
4 .
| public schools OF ali public school
| children between the ages of Z and Is
years, and ascertain the reasons there
| for, and shall promptly report the same
! to the experimenting school commit
| tee, and such truant officer when di-
rectctd by the experimenting school
| committee or superintendent in writing
shall prosecute in the name of the city
or town any person liable to the PEN
| atty provided for in Section 81, Chap
ter IL of the REVISED Statutes, as
] amended. Said officers shall have
power and it shall be their duty when
notified by any teacher that any pu-
pill is irregular in attendance to arrest
| and take such pupil to school when
| found truant, ami further it shall be
| provisions of SECTIONS ia to 116 in
elusive of Chapter II of the Revised
| Statutes as amended. Every city or
| town ncglecting 20 elect truant officers,
| and tTuant officers neglecting to prose-
| cute when directed as required by law,
shall forfeit not less than ten dollars
nor more than fifty dollars to the use
Of the public schools in the city or
| town neglected as aforesaid. The
municipal officers shall fix the COM
| pensa ton of the truant officer. and the
| superintendng school committee shall
| have power to fill vacancies whenever
| thhcy occur.