Connecticut western news., 1908-11-12
MR. HALL $ REPORT,
 ON EDUCAT|0N
HE BELIEVES IN SUPERVISION,
The Child Labor Laws of Connecticut : are far in Advance of those Exist ing in Other States-A GeueraI5 Improvement in School Buidinus.

ing in Other States-A General
 improvement in School Buildings.
 State attendance agent O. N. Hall of New Milford makes the following report. MIR. CHARLES D. HINE Secretary State board of education 1 Srr:-Below is the report of my work for the year ending August 3l, 1908 ATTENDANCE l Number of towns assigned, A; towns visited, 40; vists to schools, S22; families visited 542; cases of non-attendance in- vestigated, 3,627; cases of disability, 591; cases of lack of clothing, 25; cases found to be legally at work, l30; removed, un-- der age, private schools, etc.. 675; illeg--' ally absent, 2,2o6; continued attendance notices issued to parents, I3; letters and notices to parents, 4,l3f; prosecutions of parents, go; children committed tor Conn. school for boys, 6; committed to- temporary homes, 9; placed on proba-- ton by courts, l5. Total proseouhons= 52.
 EMPLOYMENT
 Number of towns visited, Id; estab- lishments visited ll9; employment cases investigated, 115; children employed be- tween Ii and 16, 400; children illegallvy employed (under l4), 9; age certificstsei issued, 91.
 INVESTIGATION OF CASES
 Gases of non. attendance at school src investigated by correspondence, by visits to schools, by visits to families. Invesz- tigation by correspondence involves aa i letter or printed notice to the parent or guardian, a reply from tho same, cores pondenoe with the teacher, and oftena with local school officer and local phy- sician. Very many minor cases of ir-- regular attendance are corrected in this manner. "....s Cases are investigated at the school by inspection of the register, by the state ments of the teacher and by information from the pupils. Almost without ex- ception visit to the school with thorough inquiry into all recorded ab- sences, results in improved attendance
 The visit to the family constitutes the
 
 vestigation. In very many instances. on visiting the home, 1t is found that cases of absence reported as illegal by ! teachers, school officers, and even neigh bors, are perfectly legal and necessary, and, on the other hand, absences re- ported as legal' are found to be wholly unnecessary and illegal. It is only after visit to the home that the agent pos sessess complete knowledge of the case, unbiased by local prejudice or favor Unfortunately only a comparative few of the cases of absence can be investi- gated in this manner, as often an entire day must be expended ill reaching some distant town and driving to a remote district to visit single family.
 INFORMATION
 A report at the end of each month IS necessary and valuable as showing gen eral conditions and giving information as to additions to and removals from the registration; but as basis for the pre- vention of irregular attendance these monthly reports are far too lnfrequent= to be of much value. Irregularity which has existed for one week, two weeks, or three weeks before being reported is ir-= remediable, in the sence that the time already lost can never be restored, Dur ing the past year many teachers have reported weekly and even daily with ex-- cellent results.
 CONDITION OF sCHooLHoUsEs
 The dilapidated schoolhouse and unfit surroundings still exist in some towns, although the current year has witnessed a decided improvement in this respect, The evil effects of the neglect of school buildings are evident in the towns which practice it. Evident in a general low standard of citizenship, petty lawless- ness and gradual decadencei for such neglect constitutes direct training in bad citizenship for the children of thet community. No community can afford to neglect its schoolhouses, and no state can afford to tolerate community which does so nevertheless, it is evident that some communities do so and will con- f' tinue to do so until stirred to decenc action by some force outside themselves.
 sUPERvIsIoNoF SCHOOLS
 1t is impossible to go about the state year after year observing the public schools without being impressed with the. benefits which follow practical super vision.
 More and more towns are each year taking advantage of the supervision
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