Compulsary Education

A bilí will be introduced into the legislature this week providing more efïective provisions for compulsory education. It was recommended by a committee appointed by the state teachers' association on needed legislation, adopted by that organization, and has received the endorsement of the state grange. The bilí provides that all children between the ages of 8 and 14 years shall attend school at least four full months of every school year, between September ïst and March ist. It makes the appointment of a truant officer by all boards of education manditory. This officer must be appointed the first week in September and shall hold office for one year. In townships organized under the primary law, the chairman of the board of school inspectors is to be the truant officer. This officer is to be f urnished with a list of all children of compulsory school age in the district by the clerk of the board of education. At the end of each month this officer is to be furnished also with a list of all children who have attended school. The bill makes it the duty of this officer to notify all parents whose children fail to attend school, that they must begin to attend school the following Monday and attend seven half days each week for four months. Failure to obey this notice is made punishable by a fine of not less than $5 nor more than $50, or by imprison. ment in the county ja.il for not less than ten days. The bill also requires the establishment of an ungraded school in all districts having a population of 1,000 and more. The superintendent of schools and the truant officer are to determina who shall attend the ungraded school. Habitual truants are declared to be all children who are incorrigible, turbulent, disobedient or insubordínate, as well as children who do not attend school regularly. The bilí also provides that when all legal raeans under these provisions have been exhausted, the truant child may be committed to the industrial home for boys at J.ansing or for girls at Adrián. The present compulsory law has been almost a dead letter because of the lack of a penalty for parents who failed to send their children to school, and of a provisión for the admission of children under ioyears of age to the industrial schools. As a result of these lacks, some of the toughest children could not be reached at all. This bill is thought to cover effectually all the weak points in the present law. H it becomes law and is honestly executed, it will do much to prevent any children from growing up in ignorance through the carelessness or willful neglect of parents. This bill is a move in the direction of a long-feit want, and it should receive the support of all good citizens. In a governnient like ours, dependent for its very existence upon the intelligence and patriotism of its citizens, it can ill afford to permit any of its children to grow up in ignorance.