Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-10-15
CHILDREN must
ATTEND SCHOOL
----- --
Board Of Education Calls Atten-
ton to Compulsory Pro-
visions Of Law.
FEW EXCUSES ARE ALLOWED
FEW EXCUSES ARE ALLOWED
Thirty Weeks Period Begins Oct. II
And Rigid Compliance With
Statutes Will be Required.

After Tuesday next only 80 weeks re-
main OF the school year of 190S-9 and
as the law requires that each child of
school age should spend that length
of time in school each year, the attend
ance will doubtless be considerably
augmented on and after the day indi-
Is Gated. Some parents and guardians
have taken advantage of the lecway
provided by law and have permitted
their children to remain out of school,
either from tho fact that the children
We're working. or from other reasons.
Hereafter none but legitimate excuses
Will warrant the keeping of boys and
girls out of school. Some of the rea-
sons are as follows:
That such child is taught at home in
the branches prescribed by law and
for the same length of time as children
arc required by law to be taught in the
district school.
That such child has already acquired
the branches oflearning taught in the
district schools
That such child is in such physical
or mental condition (Which may be GER
titled by 4 competent physician If re-
CURED by the board) as to render such
attendance inexpedicnt or impractic-
able.
That such child is attending some
public, district or private school,
That the services of such child arc
necessary to the support of Il mother
or invalid father.
So serious has become the practise of
parents permitting children to evade
the duty of attending school that the
board of education has taken the mat
ter UP, and yesterday the following
open letter was issued by that body
Your attention Is invited TO the fol-
lowing quotations from the law:
Section l962-Every parent. guardian.
or other person having control of any
child between 5 and 16 years of age,
shall be required to send such child to
public, district or private school in
the district In which he resides, at least
90 weeks In each school year, 10 weeks
of which shall be. consecutive; provided
that In cities of the first and second
class such children shall be required to
attend school at least 30 works in each
school year, 10 of which shall be con-
secutive; provided that In each year
parent. guardian or other person hav-
ing control of any child shall be eX-
cused from such duty by the school
board of the district or the board OF
education of the city, as the case may
be. whenever II Is shown to their salts
faction that one of the following rca-
sons exist:
THAT such child is taught at home
in the branches prescribed by law for
the same length of time as children are
required by law to be taught IN the dis
trict school.
2-That such child has already ac-
CURED the branches of learning taught
in the district schools,
S-That such child is,in such physical
or mental condition (Which may be cer
titled by competent physician If re-
squired by the board) as to render such
attendance ineSpedient or impractic-
able. II no such school is taught the
requisite length of time within two
and one-half miles of the residence of
the child by the nearest road, such at
tendance shall not be enforced.
4-That such child Is attending some
public. district or private school.
5--That the services of such child
are necessary to the support of q moth
err or an invalid father.
The evidence of the existence of any
of these reasons for non-attendance
must be in each case sufficient to salts
fly the superintendent of the county or
city in which the child resides; and the
superintendent, upon the presentation
of such evidence, shall issue a certit-
cate stating that the holder is exempted
from attendance during the time there
in specified.
Sec. 1963-Any parent. guardian or
other person having control of any child
between and 16 years of age who VII
fully fails to comply with the require
nents OF the last preceding section,
shall be guilty of misd.ameanor.
School law, approved March g. 1905.
After Friday. Oct. 20, but 30 weeks
of the school year remain. and conse-
quently all children between the ages Of
8 and 16 years not yet enrolled must