Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-09-25
COMPULSORY EDUCATION.

The county School Board, at its
annual meeting in August, having
decided to submit the question of
compulsory education to the voters
at the November election, we give
below the text of the law as passed
by the last legislature. We do so
in order that all may have time in
which to read, study and pass up
on it's merits, so that on election
day they will be prepared to acti
telligently in the matter.
While it is not our purpose to in
fuence anyone, personally we be-
lieve the law good one and favor
it's adoption. The idea seems to
be that the State has a claim on
the rising generation from the view
point of citizenship, and, placing
free schools within the reach Of all,
she has the right to demand such
attendance on the part of children
as will at least be sufficient to
teach them to read and write. This
much the average child will learn
between the age of 8 and IL, if
made to attend school for the
twelve weeks each year as specified
by this act.
The paragraph relating to the
calling of a special election in "off"
years is omitted, as the opportuni-
ty of voting on the subject
comes to us on our regular election
year.
S5a. An act to provide Gin certain
cases) for the compulsory attend
ance of children between the
ages of eight and twelve years
upon the public schools of Vir-
ginia, and providing penalty for
failure, and designating the man.
ner of collecting such penalties.
Approved March Ia, 1908.
/. Be it enacted by the general
assembly of Virginia, That every
parent, guardian or other person
having charge or control OF any
child between the ages of eight and
twelve years, shall be required to
send such child to a public school
of this Commonwealth for at least
twelve weeks in each school year,
at least six weeks of which shall be
consecutive, unless the district
school trustees of the district in
which such parent, guardian or
other person resides, excuse for
cause such child, or unless such
child be weak in body or mind, or
can read and write, or is attending
a private school, or lives more than
two miles by the usual Travelled
route from the nearest public
school, or more than one mile from
the line of an established public
free school wagon route; provided,
however, that the provisions OF
this act shall not apply in any
county, city or town of this Com
monwealth; except, and until the
qualified voters OF such county or
city or town shall, as hereinafter
provide, avail themselves OF the
provisions hereof.
2. The provisions of this actmay
be made to apply in any county,
city, town or magisterial district
constituting a separate school dis
trict of this Commonwealth by sub
mItting the question of compulsory |
education to the qualified voters OF
such county, city or town at any
general election to be held in said
county, city, town or magisterlal
district composing separate school
district at any general election to
be held in said county, city or
town, or at any special election
held for the purpose as hereinafter
provided. /
Whenever the school board OF
any county, city or town shall by a
recorded vote, express the desire
to submit the question of compuls-
ory education to the people OF such
county, city, town or maglsterlal
district constituting a separate
school district at general election,
it shall be the duty of the division
superintendent of such county or
city to certify that fact to the cleo
toral board of such county or city,
who shall, at least 80 days before
the next general election, see to it
that the question is printed upon
the official ballot of such election
in type similar to that used for the
rest of the ballot, and in the fol-
lowing form, "for compulsory edu-
cation, against compulsory edu-
cation" /
4. In every county or city OF
the Commonwealth in which the
provisions of this act may be made
to apply as aforesaid, each district
scnool board shall, on the second
Monday in February and the sec
ond Monday in September, or with