The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-04-04
COMPULSORY EDU-
CATION IN ALL
BUT 6 STATES
Percentage of Illiteracy Throughout U. S.
Commensurate With the Length of
School Attendance Requirement
Vermont Requires $50 Days Year.

/
Although six states in the Union are
still without compulsory school attend
ance laws, and four others have laws
that apply only partially, definite prog
| ress during the past decade il reported
in bulletin just issued by the United
States bureau of education. Since 1905
eight states previously without compul-
sorry laws have adopted them, and it is
thought to be a matter of only few
years when compulsory school attend
ance will be in effect in every 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 ocal-option states,
where the law is in effect in certain
counties only, are Maryland, Virginia,
Arkansas and Louisiana.
The bureaus investigation of the sub
ieet reveals close connection between
lack Of compulsory attendance laws
and illitcraey. The states rank in per-
eentage OF illiteracy very much in ac-
cordance with the length OF time. COM
pulsory schooling has been in effect and
the completeness with which it is en-
forced.
The states vary widely in number OF
years and amount of attendance required
each year. The period of compulsory at
tendance is from eight to II in North
Carolina and Virginia. In most states it
is eight to IL or Is. The present ten
dency Is TO raise the upper limit of com
pulsion. In IL states the compulsory
age limit is l6 years or above; in Idaho
it is Is. As general rule, however,
children in all these states are allowed
TO leave school at IA years of age if
they secure employment or have COM
pleted the eighth grade in school. There
is constantly increasing effort to safe
guard the child between Ia and 10 years
of age, the period of special Importance
for the vocational preparation of most
children.
As little as IL weeks of school attend
ance during any one year may be re-
quired in Virginia, Oklahoma, Delaware,
and Nebraska, while in Vermont and
other states there must be $50 or more
days of actual school attendance every
year. Many states require attendance
during the full time school is in SEES
SION" which may mean anything from
Al to 1914 days. Some states secure at
tendance during long terms by condition
ing state appropriations upon the num-
Der of days of actual school attend
ance.
A variety of exemptions are found in
the laws of the different states. Con-
necticut and Arkansas will not enforce
the compulsory attendance law "if the
parent is not able to provide proper
for the child. Physical or men
tai ineapacity is a general exemption;
another customary exemption is remote
ness from school facilities. Occasional |
ly exemptions are made on religious /
grounds Thus the Michigan law ex-
empts children from compulsory attend |
ances between the ages of II and II /
months 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 mp as follows; An annual school
census taken by the school authorities; /
prompt reports of unexcused absences by
teachers in public and private schools;
qualified attendance officers;
state agents to see that the laws are
special schools for truants and
pupils irregular in attendance; relief for
INDECENT parents having children of com
pulsory school age; definite annual
period of attendance; well-enforced child
abor laws; employment certificates
made out to the employer; and proper
penalties for all concerned in the en-
ioreement of the law.