The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-04-28
AN ACT TO REQUIRE
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.

| Section /. Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State Of
South Carolina, That from and after
the first day of July, one thousand
nine hundred and fifteen, every pa
rent, guardian, or other person, tenn
porarily or permanently residing IN
| the State of South Carolina, having
charge or control of child or chill
dren between the ages of eight and
| fourteen years, shall cause such child
or children to attend the local public
school in the district in which he re-
sides, continuously for the entire
; school term Of each year, except as
hereinafter provid;.!.. This period Of
compulsory attendance shall COM
mence at the beginning of the school
term nearest to the eighth birthday Of
such child, and shall cover the COM
pulsory period Of six consecutive
school years thereafter. This period
of compulsory attendance from each
public school shall commence at the
beginning of the school term of said
school, unless otherwise ordered by
the County Board of Education in
writing. in case Of town or cities of
two thousand or more inhabitants.
according to the preceding Federal
census, by the Board of Trustees CT
the public schools of said towns or
cities with the approval in writing OF
the County Superintendent of Educa-
ton. Continuous attendance upon
some other public school, or upon
some private or church school taught
by competent teachers, may be accept
ed in lieu of attendance upon the To-
cal school: Provided, That such
period of continuous attendance upon
such other school shall be for at least
as long as the public school term
each year: Provided, further, That
any private school or church school
receiving for instruction pupils De
tween the ages of eight and fourteen
years shall be required to keep such
records Of attendance Of such chill
dren, and to render such reports of
same as are hereinafter required of
public schools, and attendance upon
such school refusing or neglecting to
keep such records or to render such
reports, shall not be accepted in lieu
OF attendance upon the local public
school of the said town, city or dis
trict where the child shall be entitled
to attend: Provided, further, That
the compulsory school term in all ag-
ricultural districts shall be four
months, or the full term if the school
runs less than four months, said term
to be fixed by the Board Of Trustees
of such district; and any child OF
children not engaged in work at home
in such agricultural districts, must
attend full term. This four months
compulsory provision shall also apply
to all children residing in agricultural
nistricts and attending schools in any
town located in such districts.
2. This Act shall not apply in any
any case in which the child's physical
or mental condition, as attested by
any legally qualified physician before
the Board of Trustees having ]urls-
diction of the matter under this Act,
renders his attendance impracticabie
of inexpedient; or in any case IN
which the child resides two and one
half miles OF more by the nearest
travelled route from the schoolhouse;
or in any case in which, because OF
extreme poverty, the services OF such
child are necessary for his own sup
port of the support Of his parents, as
attested by affidavit Of such parents
and Of such witnesses as the Trustees
of the district may require; or in any
case in which said parent, guardian,
or other person having charge or
control of the child shall show before
the Trustees of the district by afida-
Wit of himself and of such witnesses
as they may require that the child is
without necessary books and clothing
for attending school, and that he is
unable to provide the necessary books
and clothing: Provided. That when
books and clothes shall have been
supplied by any means whatsoever,
the child shall no longer be exempt
from this provision: Provided, fur
ther, That if the child lives two and
one-half miles or more from the
schoolhouse, and means Of transpor-
tation is furnished, the said child, II
otherwise eligible, shall be required
to attend the said school under the
provisions hereof, and it shall be the
duty of the Trustees of the school to
provide, out of the public funds, books
for the use of such INDECENT pupil free
of charge. The power Of the Board
O. Trustees to suspend or expel any
pupil shall not be curtailed by this
Act, and children so suspended or eS-
pelled shall not be subject to the
provisions Of this Act during such
period of suspension or expulsion.
And, provided, further, That the
Board of Trustees Of any school dis
trict may excuse temporarily any
child from attendance, good and SUI
ficient reasons being made to appear
therefor; and in case any child IS ex-
cused temporarily under the proVls.
ions of this Act. the said Board or
Trustees shall reduce to writing the
reasons for their acton, and the time
the said child is excused.
8. Every parent, guardian, or other
person in the State of South Carohna
having charge or control Of child OF
children between the ages of eight and
fourteen years shall cause such chlio
to attend school as aforesaid: ProVld-
ed, That occasional absence from at
tendance by said child, amounting 10
not more than four a. unexcuse1
absences in four consecutive weeks
shall not be unlawful: Provided, 1ur-
ther, That the superintendent, prln-
cipal, or teacher in charge OF any
school may excuse any child or
temporary absence because Of unus-
ual storm, or bad weather, sickness
or death in the child's family, unfore-
seen or unavoidable accident, and
such excuse and reason therefor shall
be recorded by said superintendent
principal, or teacher in charge OF the;
school, and reported to the Trustees
as hereinafter provided: Provided.
further, That in case of protracted Iii
.1>;1d ,,-laco aftaD dance