The Raymer enterprise. (New Raymer, Weld County, Colo.) 1910-19??, 1919-09-11

directions, no confusion will result
To the truant officer we supply a
record book containing blank formal
: notices to parents to cause children
to attend school,
II should be the first concern OF
every teacher in those districts in
which a truant officer has not been
appointed, to induce the school board
TO secure the services of some tactlul
individual who can get results at
minimum cost and friction.
We have found during the time
that we have been engaged in the
enforcement OF the compulsory edu-
cation law that the enforcement of
this law makes easy the enforcement
OF every other juvenile law. The
child who learns to be a truant at
school becomes an industrial tramp.
We've carried on a campaign of ed
ucation since we first began At
first we warned that the law was 60
ing TO be enforced, and in some cases
arrested obdurate parents and placed
them under bond to have their chill
dren in school. Last year we made
such parents pay the costs of the ac-
tion against them, and 1t is our in
tention this year to make them pay
the costs and perhaps fine. The
epidemic seriously interfered with
our program last year. The fear of
the influenza in many cases was so
genuine, and the tension was too
great to insist upon strict enforce
ment,
We feel that the farmer is entitled
to the help Of his children during
the rush OF the crop-gathering sea-
son. We fail to see why a farmer Is
not as much entitled to such help
during October as he is in June and
July. We feel that the school boards
should make make it convenient for
the farming community to have their
children in school. We care very lit
tie whether the child is the child of
a renter or the child OF an owner. We
do know that no law can be enforced
against the wishes of any appreciable
minority without great friction and
hostility. This hostility we have
tried to avoid, and in those schools
thai have had the summer sessions
we venture the prediction that mucn
of II this year will be avoided We
request the teahers Of those schools
in which summer sessions have been
held TO check up promptly the per
mits granted and not to allow chill
dren to stay ont of school after the
time limit of their permits has ex-
pired
One of the great difficulties In the
enforcement of the law arises from
what may be called intermittent alb
sence. A child Will come one or two
days a week and stay out the re-
mainder OF the week, only to repeat
the performance perhaps several
times during the semester. This
general order has been issued TO
truant officers: In case OF intermit-
tent absences that you know are
made to evade the law, one notice
suilices for the entire year. Cases
win be prosecuted upon the expira
tiou Of any FIVE days Illegal absence
from school, whether that five days
he consecutive or scattered over sew
eral weeks.
Teachers will find that their atti-
Lude towards school atteance during
the first week will determine very
largely what the attendance will be
during The remainder Of the school
year. II the truant officer will make
a special effort to have a complete
enrolment the first day Of school,
they win probably have but little
trouble during the rest OF the year.
The parents of any school child on
the census list or who has moved in
the district since the census has been
made sh0uId be notified the second
day that school is open, in case their
child has been a6sent the first day.