The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1906-04-27
compulsory attendance. State Super

can be called compulsory H'h''' !
law. in the modern sense, was passed
in 1872" This statute marks the be-
ginning of compulsory educational
LEGISLATION in the United States. II
fixed eight and fourteen as the age |
limits, aud called for twelve weeks OF
schooling, six of which should he con
Secutive in each year. 1t was made
the duty of the school committee 70
report to the town or city cases OtVlo-
latiOn of the law. and Of the treaSur-
er OF the town or city to prosecute all
violations Of the act. Among other
exemptions. if the parent by reason OF
poverty was not able TO send the c"lid
to school, he was held not to have Vi
Olated the law.
BY repeated acts of legislation the
Law has been brOadened and strength
ened.*
In 1898 the limits of school age were
| fixed at seven and fourteen, and at
tendance was required during the en-
tire time when the public schools were
in session. The minimum school year
was liXeG at thirty-two weeks.
Children between the ages of four
teen and sixteen, if found wandering
| al, ln CT nd n
idIeness and ignorance, might be dealt
with for truancy. This is the exist
ing law.
Comparing the existing law with
those that have preceded it, its superb
GRITTY is found in beginning the school
life at seven instead OF eight years OF
age; in making the attendance COM
} pulSory during the whole time the
schools are in session, which may not
be less than thirty-two weeks, and is
: on an average of in the State thirty
seven weeks: in reducing the grounds
for exemption; in fOrbidding the EN-
I ployment of children of school age
n when the schools are in session: il
: the employment of special truant Off
= GERS. under the direction of the school
authorities, to enforce the law.
S The other States where compulsory
= attendance obtains have had expert
e ence similar to Massachusetts, AM
a their laws vary but slightly in 40
limits, exemptions and penalties.
n In tables contained in the last re
IS port of the United States COmmisS
a Toner of Education, thirty-tive state
70 are shown to have compulsory after
dance laws. OF these. twenty-tw
~ make the lower age limit eight years
10 one year above that of Massachusetts
i Two making the upper age limit lively
i years-the age fixed by Massachuset
", in 1852. Twenty-Five States make IL
in upper age limit fourteen-the same
Il Massachusetts. Eleven States have
ht nominally higher age limit (ifteen
,;r sixteen), but all states allow childrt
to be employed after reaching the a!
II. of fourteen, if not earlier.
70. The aim of compulsory education
NO to educate the masses, to increase t
nj general intelligence of the cOmmunit
ho and to eliminate, as far as poSSib
40 the very ignorant element of the pc
I'D ulation.
do The test of all laws is to be found
40. the results accomplished: consequent
he it will prove highly interesting.
lac structive and satisfying to examine
NV the comparative conditions of
,Io- States having and those not hayi
iob compulsory education" laws, and
b)a note the exceedingly low percentage
tho illiteracy in States where attenda
inc is legally forced, and the shamefu
high percentage of illiteracy in Sta
.dn. without such laws, and partictula
oo in our own State of Louisiana.
,oIo Taking group of Western Sta
tho in every one of which there are c.
tors pulsory educational laws, we find
percentage of illiteracy of ma
tho whites running as follows: Wash
biS ton, 5; Oregon, |. |; California,
s;o, Montana, s.: Wyoming 8: Nevf
: !, 8; Idaho, l. l: Utah, l. >: COlort
odr. 2. 4. In the North Atlantic grou
nod States we find the following, all Il
itor. States having compulsory educati'
O ID laws: Maine, 3. /: New Hampshir
into Vermont, 4. l; Massachusetts,
,oad Rhode Island, y; Connecticut. l;
York, l. s; New Jersey, =. 3; Penn
,noSS vania, 2. g.. Of the States that ]
k;no no compulsory educational law,
i is lowest percentage of white illitera'
tho in Missouri 5. 4; which is higher
,t;on the percentage in any compulsory