Press enter after choosing selection

The Law Is All Right

The Law Is All Right image
Parent Issue
Day
4
Month
September
Year
1895
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

A recent issue of the Kalamazoo Telegraph had a very interesting interview with our genial State Superintendent of Public Instruction, H. R. Pattengill, which reacis as follows : "I think a great deal of it," said superintendent of Schools H. R. Pattengill to The Telegraph in reply to a question regarding bis opinión of the new law affecting public schools that was passed at the last lerrn of the legislature. "The old law," he continued "lacked the vital essential which the new law especially provides for. Nów take for instance the change made regarding the treatmentof truants. Underthe old law a fine could be imposed on parents who failed to send their children to school. Under the new law, this failure can be punished with imprisonment. It doesn't take more than one dose of the latter in a community to impresa on the parents the necessity of complying with the law. "This law also obliges the school boards to appoint a truant officer whose duty it is to report and investígate cases of truancy. The school board does not wait for the parents to make acouiplaint now. The truant officer does that before a justice of the peace and under the law the justice is compelled to hear it. This practically makes truancy a rnisdenieanor as it is in many of the Europeas countries. "The new law also deals with incorrigible and unruly children. It provides that a graded school be instituted for tliem, It prevenís a contagión, so to speak, of these undesirable qualities in a pupil. Truants can be forced to attend this school, also street walkers, loafers and all disorderly juveniles. ín case it is necessary to bring the child before a justice, the fine imposed can not be less than $5 nor more than $50, or not less than two davs in iail nor more than ninety, or both. "I most certainly think compulsory education excellent. All children, as the law provides betweeu tlie ajíes of 7 and 16 are obliged to attend school and receive an education practicálly the same as is taught in public schools. The law says that the attendance at schools shall be consecutive. Now this in itself is a first class thingt It means that except for very good reason the child shall attend school eyery day. Ín cuse of sicknesa, the school board is empowered to send a physician to investígate and if he says the case warrarits it, absence is granted. "I doh't suppose the fact that a county commissioner mnst now have at least twelve inonths' teaching experience is oí mucn interest to tlie genera! public ; but this was done to prevent some college gradúate who bas nevor had any experieace in school government, stepping into a position like tliat of cammissioner. ïliere are many other innovations, such as the section wliieh compela a voter in a school election to liavo assessed property; also tliat a teacher with a duly signed certifícate from sonie other state can teach school 111 Michigan without taking examinations. Then the law provides that if a man live say an eightli of a mile from a school house in another district and unie or more froui the one in liis owi district, he can send iiis children to the other school, sometlilng impossible under the oíd law, by paying a tuition of loper cent. more thanthe average per capita. ' "Yes, I think the school legislation as passed by our present legislature is excellent and I know it puts the schools under a better system thau ever befo re."

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Courier