The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-12
NEEDPApERS TO GO TO SCHOOL
NEW BOARD OF EDUCATION RULE
WHICH PARENTS FIND HARD.
A Birth Certificate. Baptism Record or
Passport Demanded 10 Show That
Child In More Than six-Not Hard, Says
Supt. Marble, and It WIN He Enforced.

Passport Demanded TO Show That .
Child Ii More Than six-Not Hard, Says
Supt. Marble, and II WIN He Enforced.
The Board Of Education Is being criti-
oised for the method II has adopted to estab-
lish the age Of children who apply for adj
mission to the public schools. The mini
mum age for entrance Ia Q years, except In
the kindergartens, where children are ad-
mitted at 4 years.
The board has made q rule that the par
ents Of applicants for admission to school
must produce either q birth certificate, q
passport or baptismal record In all cases
where there Is any doubt chat the children
have reached the required age. This rule
has caused confusion and no little hard
feeling against the school authorities, and
It's rigid enforcement seems likely to keep
many children out Of school who are en-
titled to admission.
A large percentage OF the children Of
this city are unbaptized at Q, and Tit hap
pens that they were born In rural districts
or In small communities where no records
Of vital statistios are kept, their parents
have no way Of proving that they are OF
school age Under the rule Of the Board OF
Education such children oan be barred
from the public schools.
Another large class OF tho popuaqon
q Children born in foreign lands, particu-
larry Russian and Polish Jews. Few OF the
parents Of these little ones keep their pass
ports after they land here, and as scarcely
any OF them have written family records
the difficulty that oonfronts them In esta6-
Gus.
By some the rule IL also regarded as hav-
| ing q tendency to establish religious
| qualification for entrance into the schools.
these Are sss on NO
when their children were born that they
have no official record Of their birth. Not
being able to produce baptismal certificates,
there II no way, under the rule that tney
can prove the age Of their children Ihe
| Charter says that the schools shall be free
| to all persons over and under n years,
residing In the city. provided, however,
| that no child under Q years OF age ANAL
be received in said schools, except In
kindergarten Glasses.
The State school law makes a certain
number Of weeks Of schooling each year
compulsory for children over years
old and the parents are liable II they neglect
to comply with this provision The chill
dren themselves may be seized as truants'
Marble said yesterday that the rule pro
| hibiting children under 0 from attending
the public schools is strictly enforced and
| viii continued to be strictly enforced.
Directions were drawn up and sent to
the principals Of an the schools" said MIR
Marble, so that they know lust how e
proceed. These directions leave very little
to the discretion Of the principal. AS to
| the manner In which the rule shall be en-
forced the principals are required to enforce
| Il with as little hardship to the parents AZ
possible where there Ia any doubt as II
the applicants exact age.
@Our rule requires that = child or 1t.
paasnts shall present a cerhh oate OF brit
or baptism at the school to show that th'
applicant L. really 0 years old. In easel
where the parents do not produce the Ger
tifcate when the child applies for admis
sion, then the principal is instructed to re
ceive tho child temporarily. 30 as to give
the parent q chance TO get tho oertihoa te
1 can often find out II the child 10 really
over Q years by going over tho family his
tory. But there are very few faniliei
| whore there are no records OF some kline
Allowing the age Of the child.
sThe rule IL good one and II neoeesar!
later when the child wants to 60 TO work
Then We must have a record on which u
issue Q certificate.
There b no danger that children Wit
have been denied admission to the schools
under that rule shall be arrested by truanc.
officers. II a principal refused to admi
the child because the child appeared to b.
under Q years old, there 10 no truant Officer
who would consider the child old enough
to be playing truant. Children arount
years old are not arrested for truancy.'