Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-06-17

COMPULSORY EDUCATION.


Although six states in the union are
still without compulsory school atlelu-
ance laws, and four others have laws
that apply only partially, definite pro
gress during the past decade is reported
in a bulletin just issued by the United
States Bureau of Education. Since
1906 eight state previously without
compulsory aHs hav adopted them,
and it is thought to be q matter OF only
a few years when compulsory scnool
state and territory of the United
States.
The six states still without compul-
sorry school laws are: South Carolina,
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi.
and Texas. The four local option
states. where the lay is in effect in GER
tain counties only, are Maryland, Vir-
ginia, Arkansas and louisiana.
The bureaus Investigation of the
subject reveals a close connection be-
tween lack of compulsory attendance
laws and i%lliteracy. The states rank in
percentage of illiteracy Very much in
accordance with the length of time
feet and the completeness with which
it is enforced.
The states vary widely in humber of
years and amount of attendance re-
quired each year. The period of COM
pulsory attendance is from s to IL in
Selloil!ld anu Virginia. LII lllOSl
states it is s to IA or 15.-The present
tendency is to rails the upper limit of
compulsion. In IL states the compul-
sorry age limit is 16 years or above; in
Idaho it is is. AS a general rule, how
ever. children in all these states are
allowed to leave school at IA years of
age if they secure employment or have
completed the eighth grade in school.
There is q constantly increasing effort
to safeguard the child between Ia and
l6 years of age. the period of special
Importance for the vocational prepara-
ton of most children.
AS little as IL weeks of school attend
ance during any n year may be re-
CURED in Virginia, Oklahoma, Della
ware and Nebraska, while in Vernon
and other states there must be $50 or
more days of actual school attendance
every year. Many states require at
tendance during long terms by condi-
tioning state appropriations upon the
number of days Of actual school at
tendance.
A variety of exemptions are found in
the laws of the different states. Con-
necticut and Arkansas will not enforce
the compulsory attendance law, elf the
parent is not able to provide proper
clothing for the child. Physical or
mental incapacity is a general exemp-
ton; another customary exemption is
remOteness from school facilities. Oc-
casionally exemptions are made on re-
ligious grounds. Thus the Michigan
law eXempts children from compulsory
attendance between the ages of ~ and
IA while in attendance at confirmation
classes for a period not to exceed five
months in each of the two years.
Necessary factors in the enforcement
of compulsory attendance laws are
summed up as follows: An annual
school census taken by the school au-
thorities; prompt reports of unexcused
absences by teachers in public and pri-
vate schools; properly qualified attend
ance officers; state agents to see that
the laws are enforced; special schools
for truants and pupils irregular in at
tendance: relief for INDECENT parents
having children of compulsory age; a
we'll enforced child labor laws: emplov-
ment certificate made out to the en-
ployer: and proper penalties for all con-
cerned in the enforcement of the law.