The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1918-08-14

Education
Penalties for Parents or Guar
dams Who Fail to Send
Their Children to
School.

The compulsory education act
of tho Virginia General Assem-
ply, passed ut its last session
has just become a law, and will
be enforced beginning with the
new school term this fall. The
law provides in certain cases
for the compulsory attendance
OF children between the ages of
eight and twelve years and pen
allies are provided for failure
10 attend school. Every IA.
rent or guardian is required to
send such II child to school Mt
least sixteen weeks in each
school year, which attendance
at the beginning of the school
year and shall be rs nearly con
tlnuous rs possible.
The district school boards
shall within fifteen days after
the schools open, ascertain the
condition of the children be-
tween these ages who are not
attending school and report
such cases to tho division SUI
perintendent who will at once
prosecute each aud every of
Tense. y child weak in mind
or body, or able to read and
write, or III attendance upon n
private school, or who lives
more than two miles from n
public school, or one mile from
a public route, is exempted
from the operation of the law.
For noncompliance the super
intendeut shall make complaint
before justice of the peace or
police justice of the district or
city in which said parent or
guardian resides, or in the Cor
poration or Circuit Court of the
city or county. Noncompliance
with the provisions of the act
is a misdemeanor and tile pa
rent or guardian is liable to IA
fine not exceeding 800 for each
oifense. 1t is provided that the
clerk in each district shall re
port to the superintendent ev
cry otfcnse against the act
when IL member of the district
school board or any citizen of
the district files with him an
Affidavit setting forth the Of
Tense, aud if tue said clerk neg
lccts To report within fifteen
days after such affidavit is filed,
he shall be Liable To n fine of
not less than 70 nor more than
Flo for each case of neglect.
Two weeks Attendance at
half time or evening schools
shall be considered MS the equiv
alcnt of one week attendance at
day schools. The school board
of any city shall have tho right
To appoint II truant or atten-
dance officer to perform the du
ties required under the act of
the clerk of the district board
and the division superintendent.
Several important laws de
signed for more efficient
school system i'll Virginia were
passed 10y the last General AS
sembly. They became laws
several days ago-ninety days
after the final adjournment of
Legislature-and will be Ell
forced beginning with the 1915
1919 school year. School au
thorities have Just prepared u
digest of the legislation which
has been sent TO division super.
intendents and others.
No longer will children be
forced to pay tolls Tor the use
OF the roads while on their way
to school The law provides
that any pupil may receive
from the school superintendent
a card certifying that he is IA
regular pupil in the school
which will be accepted by the
keeper of the toll gate In lieu
of charges. The State Board
of Education is designated us
the State Board for Vocational
Education, and Is authorized To
provide proper supervision and
management over this branch
of education.
County supervisors are au-
thorized by another act to make
direct appropriations out of the
public funds from ievies for