Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-04-04
Compulsory Education


still without compuIsors school-attend
ance laws, and four others have Laws
that apply only partially, definite pro
gress during the past decade is report
ed in bulletin just issued b,
the United States Bureau of Education
Since 1905 eight states previously
without compulsory laws have odopted
them, and it Is thought to be a matter
of only a few years when compulsory
school attendance will 10 in effect in
every state ana tsrritorv of the Unite !
States
The six states still without compuls-
DRY school laws are: South Carolina,
Georgia. Florida, Alabama, Mississippi
and Texas. The four local-option
states. where the law is in effect in
eertai ncountes only. are Maryland,
Virginia Arkansas and Louisiana.
The bureaus investigation of the
subject reveals close connection bs
tween lack of compulsory attendance
laws and illiteracy The states rank
in percentage of illiteracy very much
in ooordance with the length of tima
compulsory schooling has been in ef,
feet and the completeness with which
It Is enforced.
The states vary widely in number OF
years and amount Of attendance re-
Quired each yeaa. The period of COM
pulsory attendance is from s to 12 in
North Carolina and Virginia. In most
states it is to IA or Is. The present
tendency is to raise the limit of
In II states the compuls-
DRY age limit is l6 years or above; in
Idaho it is is, AS a general rule, how
ever, children in all these states a.e
to leave school at IA years of
age if they secure employment or have
completed the Sth grade in school.
There is a constantly increasing effort
TO safeguard the child between IA ana
Is years Of age the period of specia,
for the vocational prepar-
alton Of most children.
As little as IL weeks Of school at
tendance during any one year may be
required in Virginia, Oklahoma, Della
ware. and Nebraska. while in Vermont
and other states there must be $50 OF
more days of actual school attendance
every year. Many states require at.
tendance during the full time school
is in session, which may mean any
thing from Al to le4 days. Some states
secure attendance during long terms
by conditioning state appropriations
upon the number o days OF actual
school attendance
A variety Of exemptions are found IN
the laws O he different states. Con
and Arkansas Will not enforce
the compulsory attendance law -
the parent Is not able to provide prop
clothing for the child Physical or
mental noapaeiu IS a gene-aI exeml :
no; another customary exemption i
remoteness from school facilities. o.
oasjonally exemptions are made G..
religious grounds, Thus the Nuchigar
law evempts children from compulsoH
attendance between the ages Of y AMI
IA while in attendance at confirmation
classes for a period not 10 excsed )
months in each Of the two years.
Necessary factors in the enforcemea;
c. compulsory attendance laws a,
summed up as follows, Al annus.
school census taksn by the school an-
'hor5dss; prompt reports Of uaexensai
absences " teachers in public aud
private schools; properly qualified q
tendance officers; state agenss 10 sea
that the laws are enforced; special
schools fer tuaots and pupils irregula,
in attendance. relief for INDECENT par,
e2ts having children Of compulsory
aSe; s definite annual period Of a,tenl
ance; well-easoroed chiId-Iabor-laws.
employment certificates made out q
the employer; and proper penalties
F,~ srs concern. "a u, tNa a.f..~esv,,.,.,