The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-10-29
TENNESSEE SCHOOLS
LARGELY ATTENDED
Survey, However, Shows mad
equacy in Enforcement Of
Attendance Laws.

attendance laws In the country, but
80 is poorly enforced. Its purposes are
not fulfilled. This Is due. largely to
two causes; the inadequacy. IN. many
cases. OF the local administrative
agencies. and the lack OF interest in
the enforcement OF the law on the part
Of many school officials. teachers and
parents. The school attendance sit
shown in the finding OF general child
welfare survey OF the state, made by
nine specialists OF the national child
labor committee for the Tennessee
child welfare commission. A. section
Of the report of this survey deals with
schools and the school system, and
includes answers TO the questions: DO
children 60 to school as much as the
state says they ought, or as much as
It says they must; and II not. why
II 10 pointed out that the legisia-
law. The law formerly provided that
children between s and IL must at
tend school for eighty consecutive days
and gave the county judge or chair
man of the county court exclusive
Jurisdiction over all cases arising un;
were: Completion OF the eighth grade,
inability Of the parents through ex-
treme destitutions to provide proper
clothing; physical or mental inca
nacity: living more than two miles
from the nearest schoolhouse. The
new law changes the age limit to "be-
tween and is inclusive" and. the pc.
Tiod Is changed to the entire school
term; the exemptions remain I'M
changed. Any justice of the peace or
juvenile court Judge Is vested with
the power to. hear cases arising UNDER
ton are required to provide one or
more attendance officers who shall de-
vote full time to the work during the
schooi term. : In counties having a
population Of less than 5000, the coun-
" superintendents may perform the
duties Of attendance officers.
As far as the appointment of full
time attendance officers is concerned,
the law is generally disregarded. OF
the fifty-four counties reporting Gall
overla fifteen, including Davidson and
Shelby had appointed no attendance
officer, and made no pretense OF en-
forcing the law and fourteen others
had appointed no regular officers, but
merely someone upon whom they could
call in case OF fragrant violations,
often policemen. constables or sheriffs,
and sometimes person specially
designated for this work. With hard
Ky an execution. the persons now serv-
&g as attendance officers are not
qualified-they are OF narrow vision
and lack any conception of the social
nature Of attendance work. Too often,
they are Of the type Of an officer in
one Of the large cities who stated that
attendance was better this year than
ever before, and, asked II 1t were due
to the new compulsory attendance law,
replied: mo, have pair of hand
cuffs now"
The superintendent Of Crockett county
said that both white and colored school
facilities would be 5Osper cent. short N
the law were enforced. The Davidson
county superintendent remarked. 1.-THE
trouble is not In getting children ITO
attend, but in providing for those who
do" In Knox county the work Is done
by the supervisor OF schools. In Hay
wood county. the superintendent said
that they were short of teachers and
could not spare any one for attendance
work. The superintendent of Marshall
county said that no attempt was being
made to enforce the law this wear; that
several leading citizens. including one
county board member, had asked for
labor. In Monroe county, one officer
was abpointed for each district for
six months term beginning In July,
but about half the schools began In
September and ran until March--two
months after the officers terms had
Beyond doubt, school attendance in
Tennessee is very poor. An intensive
studyysof attendance conditions was
madee hi three cnpntiAs--Smith,S Maury
and Hamilton. III each school visited
an Attempt was made to secure the
attendance record for each child to
i6 years Of age, showing the number
of days absent during the year and
whether or not for legitimate excuse,
such as illness or bad weather The
-ecoraH kept by the teacher were often
Unavailable or unreliable. The follow
ng data are based on the most accu-
ate records available, IN
Number of schools considered; White.
49,: negro, 10: total. 58. Number OF
children to 16 years Of age, inclusive:
White, 2,868; negro, 301: total. 3.169.
Total number Of days present: White,
,49, $50, negro, 27696; total, 277. $685.. To-
al number Of days absent: white, e.
1907 negro, 7,138; total 69,S2S. Per
sent. l5of' absence: White, 20.l; negro,
.05; total, 202.
All but nine of these schools reported
.lso on the cause OF absence. OF the
1853 children from whom reports were
occurred, 1,135 (nearly SO per cent? had
,een without excuse; and Of the total
lumber Of days of absence over so per
cent (3Q.4i3 days) was without valid
Excuse. This is,a more striking COM