Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-06-20
COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE
Going to School No Longer a Matter
Of Choice.
STRICT OVERSIGHT The new ORDER

All Children, White and Black, Rich
and Poor, Between the Ages of Eight
and Fourteen Must Give Attention
to Books for Four Months of Each
Year.
Following is the full text Of the COM
pulsory education law, passed at the
recent session of the general assem-
bly,:
Section 1. Be it enacted by the gen.
eral assembly Of the state Of South
Carolina, That every parent, guardian,
or other person having charge Of any
child between eight and fourteen years
Of age, must send such child to pub
lie, private or parochial, or to COM
petent tutor, subject to the approval of
the county superintendent Of educa-
ton, school for four consecutive
months, or eighty days during the
scholastic year, that the school attend
ed is in session: Provided, That in
case the term Of any school is less than
four months or eighty days attendance
for the full term of such school shall
be sufficient to meet the requirements
of this act, except as hereinafter pro-
vided.
Sec. 2. Upon written petition ma
jority of the qualified electors residing
in any school district requesting the
Of pupils on school through
out the full term, the county board of
education shall order such attendance
hereunder. This act shall not shorten
the period Of school attendance in any
district where a longer school term
than four months is now maintained
and attendance is required under the
local option law.
Sec. 8. That any child whose physi-
cal, mental or moral condition units
1t for attendance at school Is exempt
from the requirements of Section l.,
that such child must be designated as
UNIT by a person competent to Judge,
and appointed to do so by the board
appointing the attendance officer for
that territory.
Sec. 4. That any child living more
than two and one-half miles from any
public, private or parochial school, and
any child under IL years Of age living
more than two miles from such school,
may claim exemption from the re-
quirements Of Section 1: Provided,
That any pupil living within one mile
of any regular route Of school wagon
may not claim exemption.
Sec. S. That any private or paro-
chial school attended by any child be-
tween eight and fourteen years OF age,
shall be first approved by the state
board of education. Such school must
teach such subjects as are required IN
a similar public school in South Caro-
lima.
Sec. 6. The county board Of educa-
ton shall appoint such attendance or
ficer or officers as the needs OF the
public schools Of the county may re-
quire: Provided, That the board OF
trustees Of any district containing an
town or city or TWO
thousand inhabitants may nominate TO
the county board of education the at
tendance officer for their district and
may fix his compensation from the
special tax funds Of their district. The
duties of such attendance officer shall
be to take annually school census OF
all the children in each district pe-
tween the ages of six and fourteen
wears. and to file with the county board
of education, a report giving by school
districts the name Of each such child,
the race, the sex, and the names and
local addresses Of each child's parents.
This census shall be taken during the
months of July and August. Any child
ineligible to attend the public schools
shall be reported by the attendance OIL
ficer to the county superb dent VINO
shall transmit the report to the execu-
tive head Of the proper state schooi
for such special child.
Sec. 7. Women shall be eligible for
as district or county at
tendance officers.
Sec. 8. That it shall be the further
duty of each attendance officer to re-
ceive from the superintendent or prln-
cipal Of any school within the dlstrict
or territory, the name Of every child
between eight and fourteen years OF
age absent from school, and to ascer-
tain from the parent or guardian Oh
child the reason for such absence. IL
such absence is due to any other than
cause or causes or to such
cause or causes as would seriously en-
danger the health of the chiid' such
ma rent or guardian must be notihed 10
appear before the nearest magistrate at
a special time to show why he or she
should not be punished for his or her
neglect: Provided, That the attend
ance officer may, in his or her discre-
ton. excuse any absence. A full rec
ord of such excused absence, togetner
with the reasons therefor, shall be hled
monthly with the county superinteno-
ent of education.
Sec. 9. That all attendance officers
shall have the right to require pirth
certificate or an affidavit as to the age
of any child in his or her district or
territory. They shall have the further
right to visit any place of employment
to ascertain If any child between eleht
and fourteen years Of age is employed
These officers shall keep record OF all
notices served and cases prosecuted
and shall make a full report OF them
once a month to the county board OF
education.
Sec. 10. That any parent, guardian
or other person having charge OF any
child subject to the provisions Oh this
act who wilfully neglects or refuses
to comply with these provisions snail
be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor'
and upon conviction before any magls-
trate, be fined not less than five (S5.oo)
nor more than ten (s10.OO) dollars Tor
each offense. That such fines are to De
;a ;,+o tho school fund Of such dis