The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1915-04-08
COMPULSORY SCHOOL
ATTENDANCE STATUTE
PEOPLE OF. EACH DISTRICT
ALLOWE0 TO DECIDE ON
T HR EE w AY S
In Which Introduction of tie
Compulsory Law May Be Sc
cured by Districts.
T HREE w AY S

The legislature of 1913 passed a
local option compulsd.y school at
tendance law, allowing .he people of
each district to decide upon it's cpera-
ton in their school.
progressive teachers and trustees
are urged to cooperate in utilizing
this law in order to show that school
folks believe in the principle and are
willing t. use whatever opportunities
the lawmakers furnish
Anderson County contains sixty
seven school districts. During the
scholastic year l9l3-14. fifty-six of
these districts had voted local tax,
There are eight Sta.:-aided high
schools and thirty-two State-aided
rural graded schools. Sixteen districts
also reveice term extenlicn aid.
The residents OF each of these dis
tric;s have proved their interest I'm the
education of their children by voting
local tax. Interested patrons have
already put their children in school.
careless and disinterested parents
should no longer be permitted to keep
their boys and girls out or school.
and thus deny to them advantages of
public school education. 1t Is
probable that ninety per cent. of the
children from eight to fourteen years
OF age are already in school The re-
manning ten per cent. should be- nut
In school or should be able to give q
satisfactory reason for their non-at-
tendance.
The introduction OF the compulsory
ways:
!. Upon the written petition of a
majority of the qualified electors of
any district, compulsory attendance
may be secured without an election.
z. Upon the written petition of
one-fourth of the qualified electors of
any district. the people residing In
such district may secure an election
upon the question of compulsory at
tendance. the law becomes operative.
In incorporated towns with popu-
lation OF fifteen hundred, the board of
trustees may ask for an election, and
majority vote CT the people of the
district viii establish he principle.
This course may be followed in the
cities OF Anderson, Honea Path, BEL
ton and Williamson. The trustees
OF these four districts might well give
their patrons a right to decide this
quet /.
All petitions should be circulated
during the month of April in order
that they may be checked as carly as
possible in May. All elections must
pe heid on the second Tuesday In
June, hence petitions signed by one
iourth OF the qualified electors re-
questing an election cannot be de-
iayed without danger. Applications
from the trustees OF districts contain
ing fifteen hundred inhabitants should
DC sent in TO the County Board of
Euucafion before June lst In order
M .hat que notice OF the proposed cleo
uon may be given to the voters.
Ieachers and trustees In perhaps
q score OF districts In Anderson Coun.
nave enrolled practically every
chiid IN their territory. Some of these
teacners and trustees assert that COM
puis6ry attendance Is not needed in
their schools because 4 will not bring
In an additional pupil.
Every such district is earnest,y
urged to assist the cause OF pnbjic
education by putting the compulsory
attendance law in operation nj once.
Their cooperation will prove the prac-
ticability of the Statute.
The compulsory term for the
schools will be four months: the com.
pulsory term for all town schools VIII
laa. throughout the entire session.
The local school Improvement asso-
Citations In the various districts can
render valuable service by taking upI
this question. The women &C each
association are Jitaliy Interested fl
the education OF their children. III the
school improvement workers would
make q concerted effort in this con
nectinH during the next two months
they would rendcre an Invaluable SER
vice to the public schools.
Some districts may vote against
compulsory attendance Just aa 8 few
backward districts have consistently,