The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-03-15
Voice !, I }. I: OF 0 I
the People Z ( (: /.
Compulsory Education.
!, !. q NJ !, ,rih,c I. r,ispatcil n

ia most often urged against the adoption
OF Il compulsory feature in Dur school Jaw.
and QUO iii which at first blush, there nor,
seems to lie some forcc-atid i - POSI- 'N
BILE that such ma be The case IN 4solno
Of our larger cities ana toWns--llas little
or no applicat ton or force, IN the irurh -
districts OF tho state. Il a "a
C ,t,he Hrter,$f or reasons heretofore urg
took a some what active Interest thr usn
Sthp ..Comnilttee on Education Of the
late Constitutional Convention, and lothor
Wise, III an effort to secure III tho Or ST.
gnnc law n icompulsory feature properly
guarded a aualned ,corstitu III r, pro.
F,the state from sever, to fourteen years
offagc Into the schools, covering entirely
az It was our purpose to do fuzzy th nat
period OF childhood through W Itch the
advocates df '.chid LABOR bills Y would, u
after taking these children from honest
Legitimate labor turn them into idlcn les y
wIthSall Of Its inevltab Die train OF evils,
and thus while lifting ron, their !, yonms
lives tho burden of premature toll, COM ~
pensate, II first the parent. second the
|achild ana last !, bit not least and perhaps
most Important Of all, the State BY ele-
WAITING herr citizenship, by ed cating. the
embryo citizen Sto d higher sta ndard @
lSlntelligence, morality and f 1l e
which should be the tircless. ceaseelEeEHssss,
Lain o he State and her ~ plest Y al1u
most important work. f8G M q. Ill
5; NV ~ toE the objcctlon, .'That to put
BIZ a compulsory la " oil the children INTO
| the schools would crowd present schools
room a conn1nodati tom, " y us see our
contention for this feature, never 60 n
|Stenlplated putting the wf ole school pop.t-
ation of the State Into The schools az az one On.
and q the same y time Our adyocacy3 mas mas
always been for. a cor npulsory N.Y. PROP pro
Nm vi
such n law, should I'd the execu " it
ana enforcement Of the Law, b y npplytln n
| it to all children between cert tain ages
lin ord err TO obviatcs the necessity " f for
"child labor legislation.""i which. how
ever guard ed, must bring ardship 70
gmany,fa widowed mother u throug h its en- en-.
l3forcem en- t., we II hav 9 Il al WAYS &C Yo cated
that from seven 70 as
safest period for the operatt on OF ms
compulsory feature. 1t will be obserYe'dtss
Ethat our present constit utibn provides for q,
| tho enactment OF a X comp lsory nture
lstha will q affect such children as are
l$from eight TO twelve years OF nge The
enforcement of this clause by the Legs
lSlature OF course, would III Jesse y N to q
lBconsde MAJ OK ten any 5 y rea tened
crowd Ing preser choot room space;
are ali the children that ca NJ be reached
under the present constitutional provision.
Ion the subject. let us SEQ ho VI It would
work should this pernisslye feature, be-
come operative through an act 4 Of the
state Legislature. IN order To- DO this
i3ciearly and lltgently suppose we take
i q concret o a case county admit , ed y:
3nbove the average In Vealt ana e.! 8lnte!lT
sgence, with equipment Of average grade
| one whose officers and u tea cheers VII be
found a bove the general ayerage In ener1
M and Intelligence. and wi thai q. county
Which ranks sas one the CHIEF y hlte
{cn,in lass 81 the state: w Shall not here
i and now attempt to give exact details.
lsbut such approxlmat da to- figures and
i facts rs are closel related to exlst ISL %
i conditions that in a. fair and inpair tial
Eexaminatio cannot fall convince ~,
seeker after TRUTH Let lis first briefly
i notice facts and conditions under the
Snresent law, particularly with re ference
4 TO attendance and school room a commo7
i sdations.$ There are In this county ABOUT
i ono hundred and sixteen schools = eight
oonIv8 a re reported as (spacc) full, ana
i only twenty five that nrollnl ents SWouuid
4 All: total 4 actual enrolment N these,
schools is about IS per sent Of l.ies school
1nn,l ton Of the county; avera sc attend
ance gof enrolment. f34a pors cent. total out
q schools, per oerl Ing sonnet hlins
i Lass than the average per cen Of D.
/ lsentees for tho State "a t large. Here We
i hnya5 n, practc cal llustratlonao Of the opera
4 tion&oe tho system a 1T now stands.
4 showing ample accommodation ror y !
children from seven to fou teen years of
aye whom we proposed TO put mt % q me ~
schools through a. we'll Il re gula tod com
4 Snmlsory organic law;s o 4 course. there
A would lie here and there single exoep-
i lions a S to space SO much for The law
1 llas it now stands, and such practically
the the result with d compulsory feature
i from seven to fourteen years OF &C.: 55s
Now, then. lie t usS apply this same cons GO!
II crete case to "a lsory Tea tur ~
|enactnent under n proyisl of 9a3t ne
organic law as ts sthnas pteses..
hinder this proyision, CHI ldren from 81 3 ~
\ Ia twelve years OF age only can DO put
4 into he schools. Mark the result: about
4 a per cent only Of our school 8popula ton
4 Swould be affected. Add to this tho per-,
4 fcentage5 OF children n ow In ctual iregulnr
a attendance which Is about 81 per cent"
Il and 5wo get an average attendance. sunaer
8|sn4 compulsory enactment. inside n o On
8stlt,itional lnIt OF % ght to tWely 70 yea rs
\ &of nre. Z Of about Is pr cent. OF the school
4 nopulationY offthe State. Thus 1T Will sbe
a aeecn that. with a compulsory feature.
il wall guarded and regulated BY constitu-
q tonnl requirement, there would be, With
"A few exceptions. little danger OF crowdng
81 the present school rooms OF the sta e.8,
II AZ to the fonr Of probable financial
n strain we shall have something to say
4 thereafter; a lso MS to our o5yl Gus failure
i 10 rrenp anything lt"e yalue received for
n the liberal Investments already made IN
4ltour free school system. nit should he
4 borne In mind that the concrete case cit ca
4 in the foregoing Is apple cable to every
A county, city and town in the State 70 a
A greater or less extent. Also that only
h such children ms are between eight ana ma
twelve years Of al sc can be rea ched under
A our present Constitution by compul-
sorry 4 clause. All additional ATTENDANCE
4 would be- as now--yoluntnry. II
a Tazewell. Va, Feb. q, 1905. A,J,
Practical Education.