The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1916-10-07
Compulsory Education Law

Some time ago the Banner pub
lished extracts from Act No. n
passed by the General Assembly
Of Louisiana at its session held
this year. This Act is known as
the Compulsory Education Law.
At the request of many readers,
we now pu blish Act No. q iu full.
Its provisions are mandatory in
requiring the attendance for Ger.
tain time of all children between
the ages of seven and fourteen
years. This Act is written in the
following words:
ACT NO. 81
SECTION l. Be it enacted bv the
General Assembly of the State of
Louisiana, That from and after Sept
ember the first. 1916, every parent,
guardian, or other person residing
within the State Of Louisiana, having
control or charge OF any child or
children between the ages of seven
and fourteen years, both inclusive.
shall send such child or children to
a public or private day school under
such penalty for noncompliance
herewith as is hereinafter provided.
SEC. ,. Be it further enacted. etc,
That the minimum session of attend
ance required under this Act shall be
one hundred forty days, or for the
full session Of the public schools where
the public school session is one humid
red forty days or less. and children
shall he required to enter school not
later than two weeks after the opening
Of the session or term
SEC. ). Be it further enacted. etc,
That the following classes of children
between the a res Of seven aud four
teen years shall be exempted from the
provisions of this Act. The Parish
School Board 70 he the sole Judge in
ali such cases: (a) Children mentally
or physically incapacitatad to per
form school duties: (b) Children who
have Completed the elementary course
IF study. (c) Children living more
than two AMI on"-half miles from a
scho i OF suitable grade and for whom
free transportation is not furnished
bv the School Board: (D Children for
whom adequate school facilities have
not been provided: (e) Children whose
services are nee BED to support widow
ed mothers.
SEC. T. Be it further enacted, etc
That all cases of violation Of the
foregoing provisions by any parent.
guardian, or other person having con-
troll Of children. shall be triel in the
proper courts having Jurisdiction, !
and the penalty for every violation of |
any OF said provisions shall be lie
not exceeding ten dollars, or not ex
ceeding ten days in j ii, or both, at
the discretion Of the Court.
SEC 3. De it further enacted. etc .
That all cases of nOn-attendance OF |
children at schools, as above required. |
which is not due to the fault Of the |
parent, guardian or other person |
having control of such children, on |
account of failure to comply with the |
foregoing provisions. but is due to
truancy on the part OF the child or
children shall De considered as Ge,in-
qnency and such child or children
shall be reported to The Juvenile
Court as Leii q lent children. there to
be dealt wi in such manner as the
Judge OF said court may determ;n ne
either by placing said delinqueuls in
public or private asylum, nome or
other public Institution, where school
Jog may be provided for said child
ren. or otherwise.
SEC. s. Be it further enacted, etc.
That truancy as herein used is defined |
to be absence from school for more
than one week without cause.
SEC, I. Be it further enacted, etc,
That parish school boards shall have
authority to furnish textbooks free to
children whose parents or guardians
Ge unable To provide same
SEC. 5 Be it further enacted, etc.
That all laws or parts of Jaws ia con-
fl ct with the prov sians of his Act be
and the same are hereby repealed