Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1907-02-07
COMPULSORY EDUCATION FOR
GOLDSBORO.


The Board of Trustees of the Colds
boro Schools, has been asked to rec
ommend to the Legislature a law that
will place all the schools of Colds
boro township under a compulsory
system. The Board at it's last ses-
sion, Feb. LIST, discussed the question
and considered the following sec
tons:
1. That every child between the
age of seven and twelve shall attend
| some school as many Gays annually
as the Public Schools of Goldsboro
Township are in session.
2. That all children between the
ages of twelve and sixteen years who
are unable to read and write in ac-
cordance with the requirements for
voting as expressed in the last Con
stitutiOna1 Amendment, shall be re-
quired to attend school continuously
while the schools are in session.
8. That all children between the
ages OF twelve and sixteen years who
have no regular daily employment
shall be required to attend school con-
tinuOuSly.
1t is not the purpose of those adj
vocating the bill to place any hard
ship Upon children who are sickly,
nor upon parents who need their chill
dren's work. Nor upon children who
is therefore proposed to exempt from
the operation of such a compulsory
law the following cases:
1. All who have a bodily or mental
affection that -incapacitates them for
attending school.
2. Those between the ages of
twelve and sixteen years (this may
| be changed to read "from 10 to 16
| years') whose labor is absolutely nee
| essary for their or their parents sup
port.
3. Those whose labor at certain
seasons of the year is absolutely nee
essary for the preservation of the
agricultural products of that season.
| The object OF a compulsory law is
to reach that class of children whose
needed, yet who do not attend school,
but loaf the streets in idleness with
out any restraint whatever. Some
are in school for a day, and then out
for a week, some do not attend at all,
and many over twelve years of age
canot even read and write. They
have no conception Of promptness
and punctuality. They are practically
a law unto themselves. 1t is this class
of children for whom the community
should show some concern, If their
parents do not.
It is proposed to require the school
officials to keep In accurate record of
all the children of Goldsboro Town
ship, and know why they are not in
school, and If it is not necessary for
should be advised to use their best
efforts to send the children to school.
This alone would have a wonderful
effect upon the attendance. But i
the parent refuses to aid in securing
the attendance of his children, or
Uses the labor of the little ones when
it is not necessary. Dr. encourages
them to loaf the streets, where they
can be of NJ service, but a menace
to society, then they should be re-
quired to send the children to school.
In the enforcement of such a law,
the services of the regular police
force or the Township Constable shall
be used by the Board of Trustees. In
every case, though, the parent shall
be advised before hand, and shall be
given due time to carry out the law.
These are the special features of
the law nov under consideration. The
Board desires all who may be inter
| ested one way or another in such a
law to discuss it thoroughly. The full
text of the law under consideration
will be published later.