Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-03
Children Not in School.

The question of the number of children
of school age in the District of Columbia
not at school comes to the front again. The
criticism comes from responsible authority
one that should have extensive acquaint-
ance with the subject-that the figures con-
talned in the police census are inaccurate.
In 1901 the schools committee of the Civic
Center sent to the Senate committee on
the District of Columbia an estimate that
In the year ending June 80 1901. there were
in the District 5000 children not attending
public schools. Deducting 2,115 who were
attending private schools. there remained
Q. 434 children between the ages of seven and
fifteen years who were not at school This
a forceful and eloquent argument in
behalf OF a compulsory education law-an
effective and workable compulsory educa-
ton law. The police census, the revised re-
turn of which was published in The Star
Saturday, gave the number of children not
at school as only Ill.
While 1t may be that the statistics COM
piled by the Civic Center somewhat over
shot the mark, though there is no evidence
OF this there can be little doubt that he
police figures are suspiciously low. 1t may
be feared that they are too good to be true.
A drop from 6.434 to III in four years. and
in the face of a steady growth of popula-
ton. is an amazingly favorable result. If
there were no question about it's accuracy,
Washingtonians would have much reason
for INSTRUMENTATION.
The cause of popular education is making
many cOnquests, but 1t is hardly plausible
that such percentage of obdurate, unwfse
or needless parents have been precipitateiy
converted to the school idea as the police
figures suggest. s-.-- '.- .--.-'
1t IS assumed that the persons who pre-
pared the data on which the Civic Center
estimate was based were familiar with
their subject, Jealous in procuring correct
information, and that they knew the neigh
borhood they canvassed,. They had an eye
single to the discovery of habitual absantees
from school.
The police enumera tors without doubt
knew the neighborhoods they canvassed, as
well as, If not better than, the Civic Center
workers. They also brought great zeal to
the performance of their duty. But they
did not have an eye single to obtaining in
formation about children of school age who
were not at school They were not spe-
cialsts in elicitfng Information OF this
nature. They were engaged in the general
work of taking a census of the District, and
the central theme of this was the enumera-
lion of inhabitants, white or eolQred. Data
regarding children of school age, ETC.. was
incidental. There. is mo doubt that the
police gave too great credence 10. parents
statements about their children. Nearly all
parents who do not send their children to
school know that they are doing wrong, and
II may be assumed that some did not make
full confession to the policeman eiunierator.
Mr.. Charles F. Weller general secretary
of the Associated Charities, sent letter
today to Commissioner West pointing out
what he considers impossibilities in the po-
lice census. lin the hope that it may offset
somewhat the effect of the police census in
possibly lessening the enthusiasm with
which all pubtc-spirited citizens ought to
seek this fall for the passage of a COM
Dulsory education law"
Mr.. Wellers letter. which VIII be found
on another page, contains several signiff-
cant statements one being this: For ex-
ample l learn that the police census re-
ports only forty-elght children out OF school
IN Southwest Washington. That statement
is so absurd as to destroy the value of the
entire census upon this subject. At the time
the census was taken l could name per-
sonally, l believe. more than forty-eight
children habitually absent from school in
one average block in Southwest Washing
ton