Malvern daily record., 1917-08-23
MPORTANT NEW
 SCHOOL LAWS


 public schools, two new, and to some extent revolutionary laws will become effective in the educational system of the state. These are the Uniform Textbook and the compulsory attend ance statutes, which educators believe are epoehal in their relation to the schools of the state. The application of these laws will do more to standard ize the public schools than anything else done in many years, and there has been some most important school Legislation during the last ten years.
 The advantage of a uniform series, of text books, interchangeable among the districts of the state, and not sub ject to change at the whim of school boards, have been so thoroughly dis. eussed that they are well understood, The system adopted by the Comnis- sion after weeks of examination and consideration, seems to have met with general approval, as no opposition has been heard to the books chosen. No change will be made for six years, and in counties where uniformity had pre- viously been adopted, the textbooks now in use will be used until the con tract expires, when the state adoption will obtain.
 Probably seven more important is the compulsory attendance law, which becomes effective Sept. l, applicable to all counties in the state. It had been. Ia law in some counties for several. years, but the last legislature made it a general law. It will require every child between the. ages of seven and fifteen years, both inclusive, to attend some public, private or paroehial school at least three-forths of the ses- sions annually ia which the child re- sides They must enter school not later than two weeks after the opening of the school term. Exemptions are al= lowed the following classes:
 Children mentally or physically in capaeitated to perform school duties.
 Children who have completed the common school course of study includ- ing the seventh grade as outlined by the State Superintendent of Public In struction
 hildren whose services are needed to support a widowed mother.
 It is the duty of the attendance of fieer to investigate all cases of non-at- tendance and notify the parents and guardians when the children fail to comply with the provisions of this act
 The penalty for attendance falls on parant or guardian-maximum fine of ten dollars and costs for each off, enee.
 It shall be the duty of the Proseeut- ing Attorneys of the State or their deputies to prosecute all violators of this act as in the case of any other misdemeanor
 It shall be the duty of the grand iuries to investigate all cases of non- attendance at school and return indict- ments in accordance with the evidence and the facts.
 It shall be the duty of all. school boards to provide ample means of pub- licity by posting notices or by public announcements, as to tlsa date on which any session of school shall be- gin-such notice to be given at least ten days before the beginning of the session.
 It is believed that this Iawswill be sffe means of greatly increasing the attendance in the common schools, and Shat itswill eventually have the effect Of nfaterialy reducing the degree of saIlstafsacy in the state. Compulsory attendance. prevails in nearly all the states Arkansas being among the Hast to adopt it.
 Directly in .line with these reforms l is another that is still subject to eoun- 1ty option-that of county superintend- iseney.. Asdozen new counties were aad- sd to the list by the people at the May election,-and when superintendeney lis adopted, it cannot be repealed, but if it defeated at any election, 1t can be resubmitted until it carries. But
 wherever it has beer. given an honest .l trial, experience shows that the people have no desire to make any change