Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-03

pulsory education committee, submitted the
following draft of bill, referred to in the
foregoing. which Congress will be asked to
enact:
Every parent, guardian or other person
in the District of Columbia, having charge
and control of child between the ages of
eight and fourteen years shall cause such
child to be regularly instructed in the ele-
mentary branches of knowledge, including
reading, whiting. English grammar. geog-
raphy and arithmetic. and pursuant to
this end every such parent, guardian or
other person aforesaid shall cause any
child under his or her charge and control to
attend some public, parochial or private
school during the period of each year the
public schools in the District are in session
on the customary days and during the Gus
tomary hours of the school term; or shall
provide such child with equivalent daily in
struction at home or elsewhere. Provided
that a child between the ages aforesaid
may be temporarily excused from comply
ing with the provisions of this bill. in
whole or in part. If it be shown to the salts
faction of the board of education of said
District of Columbia that the physical or
mental condition of said child is such as to
render such attendance or instruction Tor
the whole period required. or any part
thereof, ineXpedient or impracticable.
NO child in the District of Columbia I'M
der the age of fourteen can be lawfully en-
ployed by any person or persons TO labor
IN any factory, Workshop mercantile eStdp-
lishment or in any business whatsoever
that will prevent said child from attending
school during the days and hours of the
school term, as determined by the board of
education, or its equivalent in private. pa
rochial or home instruction. as set forth in
No. l.. and any person who induces or at
tempts to induce any child to absent HIM
self, or herself. from school, or employs
or harbors while school is in session any
child absent unlawfully from school shall
be deemed guilty of misdemeanor and be
punished as hereinafter provided.
'And in case any parent, guardian or
other person in the District of Columbia,
having charge and control of any child,
shall be unable properly to maintain and
clothe such child for attendance to the pub
lie schools, a notice in writing setting forth
such facts shall be given by the attendance
officer, hereinafter provided for. to the
board of charities. and thereupon the said
beard of charities is hereby authorized and
directed properly to maintain and clothe
such child from the public funds for such
purposes provided to such an extent as
may be necessary for procuring the at
tendance of such child upon the public
schools
The Penalty Of Truancy.
"Any child between the ages of eight and
sixteen, who is an habitual truant from any
school in which he or she is enrolled as
a pupil or who while inattendance at any
school is incorrigible. vicious or immoral in
conduct. shall be deemed juvenile disor-
derby person and shall upon petition of said
attendance officer setting forth such facts
in the Juvenile Court, be committed to
ton until he or she shall have attained the
age of sixteen years: Provided, That said
Juvenile Court upon sufficient cause shown.
may at any time parole said child from