Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1917-01-25
Gore introduces
School Age Bill


pulsory school attendance which was
originated by the Southern Oregon
Schoolmasters' Club has been intro
duced at Salem by Representative
Gore and is receiving much consider
alton, according to reports from the
state capital. AS the bill will affect
hundreds of valley children it is of
much local interest. The main point
is that the age at which a child is
obliged by law to attend school is
reduced from nine to seven years.
The bill in full follows:
Section if19. Every parent, guar
dian or other person in the state of
Oregon having control or charge of
any child or children between and
including the ages Of seven and six
teen years of age, shall be required
to send such child or children to the
public schools for term or period Of
not less nor more than the number
of months of public school held an
nually in the district in which such
parent, guardian or other person in
parental relation may reside; provid-
ed, that in the following cases chill
dren shall not be required to attend
public schools:
"(a) Any child or children who
is or are being taught for a like
period of time in private or paro-
chial school, such branches as are
usually taught in the first eight years
in the public school, or has or have
acquired the ordinary branch
es of learning taught in such schools,
the fact of which acquisition of such
ordinary branches of learning by
such child or children shall be deter
mined by the school board in charge
of the public school in such district.
"(b) Any child or children who
is or are physically unable to attend
school. In such cases the truant Of
ficer shall require a written state
ment of competent physician certi-
flying that such child or children is
or are physically unable to attend
school.
"(c) Children between the ages
of seven and ten years of age, whose
parents live more than one and one
half miles, and children over ten
years of age whose parents live more
than three miles, by the nearest trav-
eled road, from some public school;
provided that if transportation is
pupils in said district this
exemption shall not apply.
"(d) Any child or children who
is or are being taught for like peri
cd of time by the parent or private
teacher such subjects as are usually
taught in the first eight years in the
public school, but before such child
or children can be taught by parent
or private teacher such parent or pri-
vate teacher must receive written
permission from the county superin-
tendent, who is hereby authorized to
grant such permission only in case
of necessity, and such permission
shall not extend longer than the end
of the current school year. Such
child or children must report to the
county school superintendent or some
person designated by him at least
every three months and take an ex-
in the work covered. If,
after such examination, the county
shall determine that
such child or children is or are not
being properly taught, then the coun-
ty superintendent shall order the
parent, guardian or other person in
parental relation to send such child
or children to school the remainder
of the school years Failure on the
part of the parent, guardian or other
person in parental relation to comply
with the order of the county superin-
tendent shall render such person liza
BILE to the penalty provided for in this
act"