Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-08-10
'THENfW7RUANTLAW
,CHILDREM!! MUST ATTEND SCHOOL
DURING ENTIRE TERM.
The Compulsory School Attendance
Law Amended by the Last LegiS-
lature, and Pupils Must Start in
on First Day of School. Old Law
Allowed a Month.

Allowed a r1Onth.
Boys and girls who find the school,
room distasteful and whose personal
preference lie tor the free and easy exist
ence that is led far from teachers"
supervision, will hereafter be compelled
to start in on the day school opens and
continue in school until it closes for va
cation. The amendment Of the tfuant
law, which was passed at the last ses.
sion of the legislature, requires attend.
ance from the opening of the term.
Before the law was amended, children
of an age to attend school we're allow 4
one month after the opening Of the terhl
to make up their minds and become
reconciled to their fate. Truants who
looked with dread on the first Monday
in September we're allowed month
thereafter before they became subject
to the truant officers sway. This last
bit of freedom was Topped IF at the last
session Of the legislature when the truant
act was go amended that it now reads for
"the full term" and the month of grace
no longer has any official .ecognition.
When the bell rings on the opening day
every boy and girl between the ages OF
8 and Is years must present himself or
herself for enrolment. The first section
of the law provides:
"All parents, guardians and other per-
sons in this state having, or who may
hereafter have, immediate custody OF
any child from 8 to Is years Of age shall
cause such child to attend the public
schools in the district in which the child
resides for the full time in which such
schools may be in session, or a private
school for the same time, unless the
child is physically or mentally unable to
attend, or has already attained a reason
able efficiency in the branches required
by the law to be taught in the first eight
grades. Of public schools in this state, or
provided by tho course of study of the
said school, or is otherwise being fur.
nished with the same education, or has
been excused from such attendance for
some other sufficient reason by the su-
perintendent Of the schools of the dis.
trict in which the child resides, if there
he such perintendent, or, in all other
cases by the county superintendent Of
common schools"
The law provides that no child be-
tween the ages of and Is years shall
be employed in any manner during the
school term unless the child shall have
certificate from the superintendent.
This section of the law is the same as in
the original enactment.
The law was made more comprehensive
in regard to the appointment of truant
officers. In the original act there was
a provision that made it obligatory on
school boards in the larger cities of the
state to appoint truant officers, but un-
der the new law it is made the duty Of
boards in incorporated towns and village
to appoint officers to care for truant chill
dren. In towns or villages the marshal
or constables may be appointed to do
this work. In other districts the county
is made the attendance
officer by the law. The attendance off.
Ger has authority to make arrests under
the provisions Of the truant law and is
to enter factories and places
of business to see whether or not chill.
dren are employed therein who are re.
quired by law to be at school.
The attendance officer lie authorized to
take into custody any child between the
ages OF end Is years who NAV be tru.
ant from school and conduct such child
to his parents for investigation and ex.
planation, or to the school which the
child should properly attend. 1t is made
the duty OF the truant officer to institute
proceedings against any officer, parent,
guardian, person, company or corpora
ton violating any Of the provisions Of
the truant law.
Under the law, any attendance officer,
sheriff, deputy sheriff, marshal, police
man or other officer authorized to make
arrests in the city or districts is required
to arrest without warrant, a child who
under the provisions of the law is re-
luired to attend school, when the child
is a truant from instruction. He is re.
luired to forthwith deliver the child into
she custody Of person in parental
relation to the child or to the teacher
from whom the child is then truant.
truants are to be brought be-
lore q justice OF the peace.