Evening journal., 1907-09-10
PROFESSOR SPAID
JARS THE CLERKS
Failure to Obey Compulsory
Education Law Retards
Work Of Superintendent
SCHOOL CENSUS
FAR FROM COMPLETE

Failure on the part OF 50 OF the 10
clerks Of rural schools Of New Castle
county to furnish Professor A. r.
Spaid, county superintendent. with a
census Of the children CT school age IN
their respective districts. is causing
Professor Spaid some worriment, ana
is likely TO cause the negligent clerks
trouble later on.
The compulsory school law passed
by the last General Assembly Inn
poses on each OF the school clerks Of
the county the duty of forwarding to
the county superintendent yearly a
correct list of all children between the
ages of seven and fourteen years in
his district giving the fun name, date
Of birth, age, sex, race, estimated dis
tance from school house, name and
address Of parent or guardian. Failure
to do so is punishable by a fine Of
S25. The same law imposes upon the
superintendent the duty Of forward
ing to each principal before septem-
Der Is a list OF an children in his or
her district Inability on the part Of
Mr.. Spaid to comply with the law be-
cause Of the failure Of the school
clerks to send the lists to him is what
is causing Mr.. Spaid some concern.
and unless the clerks send I'm the lists
within a few days Mr.. Spaid will not
be able to finish his work in the pre-
soribed time. and legal trouble for the
clerks is likely TO follow.
colored Clerks Dereliot.
OF the 110 schools in rural New Cas-
tie county. twenty-four are for colored
children, and. strange to say, not one
clerk in all these districts has COM
piled with the law. The present at
tendance in the schools is nearly 6,00Q
the children being taught by 165 white
and 1856 colorod teachers. 1t is "a
properly classify these children. as well
as to get into school all other children
Of the county that compulsory school
law was designed, and Mr.. Spaid, IN
the interest of education, is putting
forth every effort TO make the CLERKS
comply with the law which compels
the attendance of every child in the
county between the age Of seven and
fourteen years 10 attend school from
three TO fve months every year, pro-
I vided. Of course. the child Is not pre-
vented by reason Of mental. physical
or other urgent reason. The parent
guardian, etc. who fails to send his
! child to school Is liable to a fine Of
4 50 for the first offense, and fine OF
4 IS for subsequent offenses.
I Other Violations Reported.
The same law makes II mandatory
/ upon the 1iO school clerks OF the
county 70 report their election 20 the
( clerk Of the peace within. thirty davs
/ after their election. and 20 file Will
( the county superintendent the name OF
/ and the salary paid each teacher ia
/ far only 102 OF the clerks have certi-
/ fed TO their election and only thirty
I six have sent I'm the teachers names
and the salaries paid them. Failure tc
comply with the provisions of the law
is punishable by heavy fines. Ths
I law also empowers the state treasurer
+ TO withhold one-fourth of the State
/ dividend from any school district
which neglects to enforce the provi-
sions Of the law in manner salts
factory to the county superintendent
Mr.. spaid hopes the school clerks will
get busy at once that they may save
! themselves trouble.