The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-03-28

CENSUS
REPORT

Al the meeting OF the school committee
held on Friday evening last Supervisor OF
the School Census Gilbert E. Whittemore
presented his report, which constitutes a
house to house canvass for the names OF
all children between the ages OF and
Is years. In part tho report OF Mr.. Whit
temore is as follows:
'of the total enumeration Is s57 are re-
ported as attending public schools. a lose
OF 81; 4Tie are reported as attending Cath
olic schools, gain OF 1856. sol are report
ed AS attending select schools a loss Of
So 6s4 are reported as attending no
school, an increase OF 1853 an compared
with last years census reports
IT will be seen that the net gain in at
tendance at school IL but IS. and that 1868
has gone into the Attending No School
class. While full statement OF this
condition will follow. l will state here
that this loss In attendance is wholly in
the non-compulsory ages.
The total gain In the enrolment OF
children years Of age and not IL. who
are by law. compelled TO attend school. is
93l, and the gain in school attendance for
children Of these ages is sa2. and nearly
all OF the non attendance in this class is
elsewhere In this report shown to be for
good and sufficient reasons.
Another feature shown by the returns
OF this census Is the actual decrease OF
3is in the enumeration Of this year OF
GRAFTON OF children ) years of age last
year. falling from 84s last year TO 3225
this year. As this Is not a compulsory
attendance age l have not the accurate
information that wish had 10 account
for this loss. am inclined 10 guess that
the change from TO years of age as
the entering ago for the lowest primary
grade has caused parents who are crowd
ing their 4-year-olds into the b-year- old
class 20 hasten their admission have
given up the effort as useless.
Another noteworthy feature 10 the ah-
normal gain OF over 2o in the enrolment
81 children Is years OF age. I attribute
this gain to the inducement to large fam
lilies 10 settle In this state by the pro
visions Of the law. which went into effact
is months ago. allowing children i3 years
Of age or over TO be continuously en-
ployed 70 labor without any other quail
hcations. thus enabling each 90 the chill
dren Of any family 10 work one year
earlier than In other stafes
From q careful study OF my books
correct: During the last fun year under
the old law sa1 children IL years OF age
worked half the year; $50 children l3
years OF age worked half the year; lleS
"During the last full year under the
present law 342 children 10 years of age
worked the whole ~ the year: i66 chill
dren l3 years ot age worked half OF the
year, 96S children II years OF age work
ed the whole Of the year; t2l children II
years or age WORKED nal1 OF tne year.
Labor certificates were issued 10 SOS
children. who were l3 years old and not
"a. on Jan. 1. 1904. the date Of the school
census OF these 9i2 were held by chill
dren who have not attended school during
tho past year. mostly illiterates. and t6s
were held by children who have attended
more or less during the past year. aver
aging half-time
Labor certificates were issued 20 1886
children who were IA years Of ags and
not l5 on Jan. 4. 1904 the date OF the
school census. or these 965 were held hy
children who have not attended school
during the past year. including a good
many iliiterntes. and 42f were held by
children who have attended school more
or less during the past year averaging
half-time."