Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1903-08-14
MUST NOT PLAY .HooKEY..
Under q New State Law Truancy Omcers
WIZ See That Children Are Kept
School.

Topeka, Kan, Aug 11-County
superintendent and city school boards
| throughout the state have begun to
| appoint truancy officers to enforce the
| truancy law passed by the legislature
| last winter. The new school year be-
gins next month and the authorities
| are naming the truancy officers now
| SO they can take an enumeration and
get things in shape for the opening of
school A truancy officer began TAX
| ing a. census last week in Marion
county. One eccentric German, John
| Faust, refused to give the ages of his
children as required by law. He was
| arrested and fined SIS and costs,
| amounting in all to S2S. He then gave
their ages. The result of this case will
make it easy on truancy officers in
other counties.
The truancy act provides that every
person or guardian having control oil
any children between 8 and Is
years of age shall be required to sena
them to some public, private, denom-
national or parochial school during
the full school term. Any child oveI
IA, however, who can read and write
the English language and must sup:
Fort himself or others dependent upon
him, need only go to school eight
weeks year. Holders of graduation
certificates from common schools are
exempt. So are all children who ara
physically and mentally incapacitated,
but in such cases the truancy officer
must not take the word of the parents
or guardian, but must have the child
examined by board of physicians
appointed by the school authorities
Each county must have at least one
truancy officer and the big counties are
allowed not to exceed five. The officer
shall have complete enumeration OF
the school children in his district. The
teachers must make a monthly re-
port showing the absentees. During
the month also when teacher finds
pupil playing hockey, he must mott.
fly the truancy officer, who shall round
up the youngster and force him tG
attend school. If a parent refuses to
send his child to sch DOL after receiv-
ing notice he stands liable to a fine
of from SIS to $25. The parent or
guardian is held responsible for the
conduct of the child, unless he states
in writing that the child is beyond his
control. In that event it shall be the
duty of the truancy officer to have the
child sent to the reform school.
The truancy officers will receive 50
day, payable out of the school fund.
and they can only receive pay for the
number of days each year that the
school is in session. Before the teach
ers can get their money each month
they must make a report showing the
names and addresses of all pupils who
have been truant, or habitually abb
sent. The name, place and birth of
every child is taken and the name and
address of the parent or guardian. Ii
a parent or. guardian refuses to give
ouch information under oath he SUBJ
jects himself to fine. With truancy
officers patrolling every street in the
cities and every road in the country
during the school year looking for
youngsters who are playing hockey,
the average attendance in the common
schools Of Kansas will no doubt show
a big increase this year over that OF
mast wears.