The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-06
DON'T GO TO SCHOOL.
Two Hundred and Forty De.
linquents in County.

There are 240 children in the country
school districts of Shawnee county, be-
tween the ages of 5 and II years, who
are not attending school, according to
the report of j. B. Ramsey, the county
truancy officer.
The total number of persons of school
age in the county, outside of the city of
Topeka, is $3.50 divided among the one
hundred districts. Mr.. Ramsey esti-
mates that about half of the school
population is between the ages of and
Is years. Notices have been sent to the
parents or guardians of the children not
in school notifying them that they
must report to the truancy officer and
give the reason why the children are
not in school
There are $500 children enrolled in the
country schools and about 1900 not in
school. The compulsory school attend
ance law compels the attendance at
school Of children between the ages of
s and Is years. Mr.. Ramsey said to-
day:
Possibly one-half of the school popu-
lation are between the ages of to Is
years, and of these the returns SO far
show about 240 pupils between these
ages not in school. The law requires
that all pupils OF this age shall be in
school every day the school is in session
in their district.
Notices have been sent to parents
and guardians of these children to
place them IN SchOOl at once. w TN
each notice is enclosed a blank for the
reply of the parent, and from the gem
eral tone of these replies 1t would seem
| that parents are in accord with the
provisions of the law.
THE information as to truancy or
absence from school does not always
come from the teacher, but may be OBJ
tanned from school boards, or from per-
sons living in the district, or from per-
Sonal knowledge, and it is the duty of
the truancy officer to act on the infor-
nation however it may be obtained.
THE records show that there are
very many cases in Shawnee county
where adopted or indentured children
are kept out of school simply for work.
/ These cases can be identified from the
fact that the children bear a different
name, and the person signing the blank
as to age signs as guardian. The per
son who adopts a child simply for the
muscle that is in him, caring nothing
for the mind, is little if any better than
the STAKEHOLDER of the south. These
cases will be followed up closely, and
the provisions of the compulsory edu-
cation law will be enforced.
Another good feature of the law is
found in its provisions concerning
children who are a menace to the
school. The truancy officer can go into
a district where such children are a
constant source of trouble to all teach
erS and with authority can restore or
der and hold the parents of such chill
dren responsible for their conduct He
can go into such a district and say
what the teacher would not dare to say,
and what the school board, being neigh
bors. would not like to say. and carry
away out of the district all the odium
arising therefrom. much the same as
the scapegoat carried away the sins of
the people into the wilderness.
THE determination of the commits
sioners to limit the work to sixteen
days in the month of February and
eight days in each of the following
three months will cripple the work for
there is sufficient work in sight to keep
one or even two officers busy all the
time
The reports received by Mr.. Ramsey
show that there are 100 pairs of twins
in the school districts in Shawnee coun-
ty; twins for every school district No
tripletS have been reported.
County Superintendent Wright says
that the truancy officers work is
greatly hamDered this year from the
fact that he did not begin work until
long after the schools started. Next
term the work will be more successful.
Superintendent Wright thinks the tru-
ancy law will be of great benefit in the
! county,