Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1905-11-15
Duties of Parents and Guardians.

aSSChOlN VI lONa
Duties of Parents aud Guardians.
ANY person having control of any
child of The ages of seven CD to four
teen (l4) years inclusive, in proper
mental and physical condition to go to
school, shall cause such child to at
tend some public, private or parochial
school where the common school
branchesIof reading, writing, spelling,
arithmetic, grammar, geography,
physiology and EUnited States History
are taught, or to attend upon equiv
alent instruction by competent
teacher elsewhere than at school. for
at least sixteen (16) consecutive weeks
in each school year, commencing with
the week of school after the first day
of September, unless the board OF
school directors shall determine upon
a later date, which date shall not be
later than the first Monday in Decem-
Der. -
Provided. that this section shall not
apply to any child who lives more
than two (two) miles from any school
by the nearest travelled road except in
those districts where pupils are trans
ported at public expense, or who is
6ACuStu lOI SulllClChO lCdSOho w ohV
court of record or judge thereof. Any
person who shall violate the pro-
visions of this section shall be guilty
of misdemeanor and upon conviction
thereof shall pay fine of not less than
three (S3) dollars nor more than twenty
$500 dollars for each offense.
Enforcement
at shall be the duty of the director
or the president of the board of
directors, or of any truant officers
appointed by such board of directors,
to enforce the provisions of this act,
to sue for and recover the penalties
herein provided, and to institute
criminal prosecution against any per-
son violating the provisions of this
act, and any such officer neglecuing
to do so within thirty 900 days after
a written notice has been served upon
him by any citizen of said district
within which the offending person
for fiue of not less than ten ($10D
dollars nor more than twenty $500
dollars for each offeuse. -
Duties of Teachers and School Officers.
"All teachers of the public schools
of the state, and county superinten-
dents and school officers and employees
shall promptly report to the secretary
of the school corporation any viola
tions of the provisions of this act, of
which they may have knowledge or
information, and he (the secretary
shall promptly inform the president
of the board of directors thereof and
cru r,rocf1nnf cho1t III W coll
meeting Of the board of directors to
shall Justify. and any child placed in
any truant school may be discharged
therefrom at the discretion of the
hoard, upon sufficient assurance of the
future good conduct of such child"
Provisions for Punishment of Delinquent
Pupils.
1.-THE board of directors of every
school corporation is hereby authorized
to provide such reasonable methods OF
punishment of children who are
habitually truant from school, or who
habituallv frequent or loiter about
public places during school hours with
out lawful occupation, as NAV be
necessary to carry out and make
effec tual the provisions of this act. -
Note carefully the provisions of this
act, for it is constructed in the in
terests of the children OF TODAY who
will be the citizens-fathers, mothers,
and lawmakers of the near future. Ii
good citizenship is to be promoted,
good homes established, and good laws
enacted they must be based on intel
ligence. The safety and perDetuitv
of the institutions of republic de-
ponds, not upon the intelligence OF a
few, but rather upon the intelligence
and morality of all.
The school, as an institution, is
becoming, each wear, more and more
factor in the preparation of the
youth of intelligent participation in
civic affairs.
The strenuousness OF present day
life is too great for men to meet and
discuss in the presence OF their
families the affairs of the CITY, state
and nation. hence if the children are
to become interested and able to take
an intelligent part in the affairs of
state and nation thew must receive the
impetus and intelligence through the
agency of the school. This condition
is not of our conscious making, but it
has come about gradually, and results
from the complexity of modern
methods of life. If the children of to-
day are to have anything like an even
chance in the 'sstruggle for place"
when they are thrown upon their own
resources they must be given the es-
sent ial elements in the preparation of
themselves for this struggle. Know
ledge and character are the most es-
sential elements in this preparation.
These the schools are pledged to give,
and the purposes of the compulsory
law are in harmony with this purpose
of the school. 1t desires to secure to
every child the benefits of common
school education, and all of its pro-
visions are directed toward the ac-
complishment of this purpose.
l sincerely hope every parent will
appreciate the purposes and the spirit
of this law and will cordially meet
the requirements of it.
Remember that it requires sixteen
consecutive weeks attendance between
the first school week in September,
and the third Monday of March next.
Very truly yours,
ELLIS j. HOOK,
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