The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1918-04-18
COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTEND.
ANCE

The best days work done by the
South Carolina Legislature at its
1915 session was performed when il
provided for compulsory school at
tendance. There is an especially
commendable feature Of the law
passed. 1t allows each district to dc.
eide for itself whether the law shall!
be enforced in that particular lis
trict, which comports with our idea
of local self-government. Every dis
trict ought first to be allowed by vote
or petition to decide that ignorance
shall be stamped out. If it does not
so decide, then we are thoroughly
convinced that the will of the people
of larger territory should be
brought to bear and compel them to
be free"
In this connection, Mr.. J. Arthur
Knight, County Superintendent of
Education has issued the following
statement to the school trustees of
the various school districts of thI
county:
at gives me pleasure to call t.
your attention an act passed by the
General Assembly of South Carolina
1915, and approved Feb. 1915, en-
titled, AN Act to Require School At
tendance and found in the general
school law for South Carolina, 1916,
on page AZ through 50.
"This act requires that each child
between the ages of eight and l.
must attend school for the period OF
the school term of the District ir
which he or she lives. Provided tha
the children in the rural communi-
ties must go only four months.
This act becomes operative on the
district or groups of districts tina
voluntarily place it upon themselves
There are two ways that the act may
be put in force, either in one district
or group of districts; namely: First,
by a petition of a majority of the
qualified electors of such district or
districts. Second, by petition Of
one fourth of the qualified electors,
which will call an election on the
question, in which a Majority Of the
votes cast is necessary for its adop.
ton.
"The Legislature has placed in
your hands means by which you may
guarantee to every child fair cdu
cation; this means is the Act abov;
referred to. And upon you, the
trustees of this County, rests, large
ly, the approval Of aEd opc .ation Of
same. | want each trustee to make
himself committee Of one to see
that the required number of names is
placed on a petition asking that the
Act be made operative for his dis
trict. If each one cf you will do this
in the school year of l918-l9, Ches-
terfield County will operate as a
whole under a compulsory school at
tendance law.
"The grand Jury in it's Present
ment on March 4th, 1918 made the
following recommendation
We further recommend that the
School District of the County take
advantage Of the provisions of the
law that secures for them Compul-
sorry Education, and that the County
Superintendent of Education call this
matter to the attention of the Trus-
tees of the School Districts
The time has passed for quibbling
over this important matter. This is
the time for action. Where parents
will not send their children to school
the time has arrived when the com
munity should compel them to do so.
Every school district should take
as its motto in this matter: "No man
has the right to rear children in ig-
noTance."
The Advertiser will be glad to re-
port the action Of the districts of this
county as they line up for compul-
sorry education of the children.