USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1898 > Part 25
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Evidence of the Minor's Age .- Section 4 simplifies the old law somewhat with reference to the evidence of age; it desig- nates the last school census, the certificate of birth or bap- tism, or the register of birth with a town or city clerk, as
475
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
means of furnishing satisfactory evidence of the child's age ; or other satisfactory evidence may be accepted. It omits that provision of the old law which designated the circumstances under which a child of thirteen might receive an age and schooling certificate, the new law forbidding the granting of such a certificate to a child under fourteen.
An Employment Ticket to Precede the Granting of an Age and Schooling Certificate .- Section 5 provides that before a child under sixteen, instead of fourteen, as in the old law, can® be granted an age and schooling certificate, he must present to the person authorized to approve and sign the same an employment ticket, duly filled out and signed. A section of the certificate declares that the certificate is to be surrendered to the child when he leaves the employer's service, but if not claimed by said child within thirty days from the ending of his service, it is to be returned by the employer to the superintend- ent of schools, or, where there is no superintendent, to the school committee.
Certain Penalties Modified .- Section 6 modifies somewhat the penalties prescribed in the old law. It limits to a fine the penalty for certifying to any materially false statement in the age and schooling certificate, omitting imprisonment.
Conditions under which Illiterate Minors may be Em- ployed .- Section 7 renews old provisions, that no minor who cannot read at sight and write simple sentences in the English language shall be employed while a public evening school is maintained in the town or city in which he resides, unless he attends a day school, or has a permit issued by the superintend- ent of schools, or, unless his teacher certifies each week that he is in regular attendance at such evening school (not in attendance seventy per cent. of the time as heretofore).
Truant Officers Authorized to Visit Factories .- Section 8 authorizes truant officers to visit factories, workshops, and
476
ANNUAL REPORTS.
manufacturing establishments without that special direction from the school committee which the old law required, and requires these officers to report any cases of illegal employment of minors therein to the school committees of their respective towns and cities, and to the chief of the district police, or to the inspector of factories for the district. It provides that complaints under this act shall be brought by inspectors of factories only, not by truant officers or inspectors, as in the old law.
II. ATTENDANCE AND TRUANCY. [Chapter 496, Acts of 1898.]
Length of Schooling and Subjects to be Taught .- Section 1 extends to thirty-two weeks the time the public schools must be maintained. The time required under the old law was thirty- two weeks for towns of four thousand or more inhabitants, and twenty-four weeks for all other towns. To the studies that may be taught at the option of the school committee are added book- keeping, geometry, one or more foreign languages, the elements of the natural sciences, kindergarten, manual and physical training, civil government and ethics, with such other subjects as the school committee may deem expedient.
The High School .- Section 2 requires every town of five hundred families or householders, and permits any town, to maintain a high school, adequately equipped, to be kept by a principal and such assistants as may be needed, of competent ability and good morals. The distinction hitherto made between two grades of high schools is abolished.
The following requirements apply to every high school, whether it is kept in obedience to the statute or voluntarily : -
477
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
1. Instruction shall be given in such subjects designated in section 1 as it may be deemed expedient to teach in the high school, and in such additional subjects as may be required for the general purpose of training and culture, as well as for the special purpose of preparing pupils for admission to State normal schools, technical schools and colleges.
2. There shall be at least one course of study four years in length, and the school shall be kept for forty weeks at least, exclusive of vacations, in each year.
3. A town may, if it chooses, meet only a portion of the foregoing requirements in its own high school ; provided that it shall make adequate provisions for meeting the rest of said requirements in the high school of another town or any city.
Payment of High School Tuition required of Certain Towns .- Section 3, which provides that any town of less than five hun- dred families or householders that does not maintain a high school shall pay for tuition in a high school of another town or city, requires that a child who is to attend the high school in such other town or city shall have completed the course of instruction provided by the former town, and shall be, in the opinion of the superintendent of schools or the school commit- tee of said former town, properly qualified to enter such high school. Towns whose valuation is under $500,000 are entitled to State reimbursement for high school tuition expenses incurred under this section, but not for high school transportation expenses.
Manual Training .- Section 4 requires that every town or city of twenty thousand or more inhabitants shall maintain the teaching of manual training not only in connection with its high school system, but also in connection with its elementary schools.
Section 5, which requires the maintenance of an evening school by every town of ten thousand or more inhabitants and
478
ANNUAL REPORTS.
, permits it by all towns, restricts the provision to children over fourteen years of age, and, among the branches to be taught, specifies " industrial drawing, both freehand and mechanical."
Evening High Schools .- Section 6 re-enacts a section of the old law, requiring evening high schools in cities of fifty thousand or more inhabitants.
Right of the Child to Schooling .- Section 7 declares it to be the right of every child to attend the public schools in the town or city in which his parent or guardian has a legal residence, or in which the child himself actually resides.
Payment for the Child's Schooling in Certain Cases .- Section 8 makes provision for the payment of a child's schooling in a town or city other than that in which his parent or guardian resides : -
1. By the parent or guardian of the child if the child resides in said town or city for the sole purpose of attending school there, the sum to be paid being as defined in the section.
2. By the State for " State wards " between five and fifteen years of age, the sum to be paid being fifty cents for each week of five days, including the expense incurred for transporting such wards to schools .*
3. By the city of Boston for children "placed out " by the trustees for children of said city or kept under the control of said trustees, the sum to be paid being fifty cents for each week of five days, including the expense incurred for transporting such children to school.
4. By institutions containing more than six inmates in any town of less than ten thousand inhabitants for any child so attending between the ages of five and fifteen years, not
* Chapter 108, Resolves of 1898, authorizes the Commonwealth to pay transportation expenses, in certain cases, from April 1, 1898, to September 1, 1898.
479
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
theretofore resident in such town, the sum to be paid being determined in accordance with the provisions of the section.
Redress for Unlawful Exclusion from School .- Section 9, which provides for redress in case a child is unlawfully excluded from school, omits the requirement in the old law that teachers shall state in writing the cause of such exclusion.
Permission to Attend School out of Town .- Section 10 re-en- acts the old provision that permits a child, with the consent of the school committee, and at the expense of the town or city in which the child lives, to attend school in another town or city.
Contagious Diseases .- Section 11 adds measles to small-pox, diphtheria, and scarlet fever as a reason for restraining a child from attending school. Three days must have elapsed since recovery in the case of measles (two weeks in the other cases) before return to school is permissible.
Compulsory Attendance .- Section 12 makes attendance upon a public school compulsory for all children between the ages of seven (instead of eight, as heretofore) and fourteen years during the entire time (instead of thirty weeks, as heretofore, and without an allowance for two weeks of unexcused absence, as heretofore) the public schools are in session.
Excepted from these provisions are (a) children that are attending approved private day schools or receiving instruction equal to that given in the public schools ; (b) children that are compelled by necessity to be absent, including children whose physical or mental condition renders their attendance inexpedi- ent or impracticable.
The provision in the old law which extended to fifteen years the age of compulsory attendance wherever manual training was taught is repealed.
A clause in this section requires parents or guardians to cause children under their control to attend school according to law.
480
ANNUAL REPORTS.
School Census Forms .- Section 13, in addition to certain forms required under the old law, requires the Board of Educa- tion to prescribe the forms for a school census.
Secretary of the School Committee to receive Forms and to discharge Certain Duties .- Section 14 provides for sending, with other forms, as hitherto, forms for the census to the secre- tary of each school committee (instead of to the town clerk, as heretofore), whose duty it is to deliver the same to the several persons charged with duties in connection therewith. It is also made the duty of this officer to forward to the secretary of the State Board of Education a list of the private schools in the town or city, together with the names of their principals.
Failure to Receive Forms of Inquiry .- Section 15 relates to the duty of the secretary of the school committee (instead of the town clerk) in case of his failure to receive the forms that should be sent to him.
Taking of the School Census .- Section 16 provides that the school census shall include the names and ages, with such other facts as may be designated by the State Board of Educa- tion, (a) of all persons between five and fifteen years of age, and (b) of all minors over fourteen years of age who cannot read at sight and write simple sentences in the English language residing in their several towns and cities on the first day of September, such record to be completed on or before the first day of October. The first census under this require- ment is to be taken in September, 1899.
Returns of School Committees,-Section 17, which relates to statistical returns from school committees, requires (1) that the sworn certificate to accompany such returns shall be signed uniformly by the chairman and secretary of the school com- mittee (instead of by a majority of the school committee, as in certain cases heretofore) ; and (2) that the certificate shall state the number of children in town between seven and fourteen
481
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
years of age, in addition to such other items as are required by law to be returned.
Duties of the School Committee with Reference to Registers and to Money from the School Fund .- Section 18 is a re-enact- ment of the old law requiring school committees to cause school registers to be faithfully kept and to specify the pur- poses for which money from the school fund is used.
The Teacher's Duty in Connection with the School Register .- Section 19, which re-enacts the law requiring teachers faithfully to keep school registers, further provides : -
1. That registers of attendance shall be kept daily.
2. That they shall be kept at the schools and open to inspection during school hours.
3. That no pupil's name shall be omitted in counting the number of persons belonging to the school and the number of absences of such pupil until ten consecutive days of absences have been recorded, or until it is known that such pupil has withdrawn from the school without intention of returning.
4. That a pupil who is not present at least half of a session shall be marked and counted as absent for that session.
Irregular or Delayed Returns .- Sections 20 and 21 are re enactments of the old law concerning school committee's returns which are irregular, incomplete, or too long delayed.
Establishment of Truant Schools .- Section 22 is largely a re-enactment of the old law requiring county commissioners to establish and maintain county truant schools in their respective counties. The principal added provisions in the present law are :-
1. The county commissioners of Barnstable, Berkshire, Dukes and Nantucket counties are exempt from establishing truant schools, but are required, instead, to assign a truant school established by law as the place for the instruction and training of persons committed to truant schools from their respective counties.
482
ANNUAL REPORTS.
2. For the purposes of this act, the Parental School of Boston is to be deemed the county truant school for Suffolk County.
3. For the purposes of this act, Chelsea, Revere and Win- throp are to be considered as belonging to Middlesex County.
4. For the maintenance of each child sent to a truant school, towns and cities other than the above named are to pay one dollar a week (instead of two dollars, as heretofore), the above named being required to pay two dollars and fifty cents a week, and such additional sums as shall cover the actual cost of maintenance.
Visitation of Truant Schools. - Section 23 provides that the State Board of Education and the State Board of Lunacy and Charity shall visit the county truant schools and report con- cerning them annually to the Legislature.
Habitual Truants, Absentees, and School .Offenders. - Sec- tions 24, 25 and 26 name and more fully describe three classes of children that may be committed to truant schools, or else- where, under this act, namely : -
1. Habitual truants, -children between seven and four- teen years of age who wilfully and habitually absent themselves from school.
2. Habitual Absentees, -children between seven and sixteen years of age who may be found wandering about in the streets or public places, having no lawful occupation, habit- ually not attending school, and growing up in idleness and ignorance.
3. Habitual school offenders, -children under fourteen years of age who persistently violate the reasonable regula- tions of the school which they attend, or otherwise misbehave so as to render themselves fit subjects for exclusion therefrom.
Commitments of such children, in case of conviction, if boys, may be made to county truant schools, or, in certain cases, to
483
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
the Lyman School for Boys; if girls, to the State Industrial School for Girls ; or they may be placed on probation, as pro- vided in Section 28 of this act.
Support of a Child in a Truant School to be paid for by the Parent if so Ordered. - Section 27 provides for the payment, at the discretion of the court, by the parent or guardian for the support of a child while an inmate of a truant school.
Probation. - Section 28 provides for placing upon probation under a truant officer or a probation officer a child convicted of an offence under this act, and for other disposition of such child in case he violates the conditions of his probation.
Parole and Discharge. - Section 29 makes new provisions (1) for the parole and discharge of a child committed to a county truant school ; (2) for revoking such parole and for the arrest of the paroled child ; and (3) for the right of the superin- tendent or the school committee to be heard upon a proposal to parole or to revoke a parole.
Releases from the Parental School of Boston are to be gov- erned by the provisions of chapter 514 of the Acts of the year 1896.
Tranfser from Truant Schools in Certain Cases. - Section 30 provides for the transfer; by order of the court, from a county truant school to the Lyman School for Boys or to the Concord Reformatory, of any inmate who persistently violates the reasonable regulations of said truant school or who is guilty of indecent or immoral conduct while connected therewith.
Penalties for Neglect to Send Children to School and for Inducing Unlawful Absence. - Section 31 provides :-
1. That any person who, having under his control a child
between seven (instead of eight, as heretofore) and fourteen years of age, fails for five day sessions or for ten half-day ses- sions within any period of six months to cause such child to
-
484
ANNUAL REPORTS.
attend school as required by law, shall forfeit and pay a fine of not more than twenty dollars. The child's attendance is required for the full time the school is kept, instead of thirty weeks, as heretofore, and the allowance of two weeks for unex- cused absence is no longer permitted.
2. That a fine of not more than fifty dollars shall be imposed upon a person for inducing any child to absent himself unlawfully from school, or for employing or harboring a child unlawfully absent from school.
Jurisdiction and Procedure. - Section 32 tells what courts shall have jurisdiction in cases arising under this act, and indi- cates the method of procedure.
Truant Officers. - Section 33 requires the school committee of every town and city (1) to appoint one or more persons (instead of two, as in the old law) to be designated as truant officers ; (2) to make rules and regulations governing said officers ; and (3) authorizes school committees of two or more towns or cities to employ the same truant officer or officers.
Duties of Truant Officers. - Section 34 directs truant offi- cers to inquire into all cases arising under this act and authorizes them to make complaints, serve processes and carry into execution judgments thereunder. The old provision that they shall do this " under direction of the school committee " is dropped. They are to proceed directly under the provisions of this act, by-laws having been done away with. They are also to serve as probation officers as required by Section 28.
Neglected Children. - Section 35 provides for the commit- ment of neglected children, so called, up to the age of sixteen (instead of fourteen, as in the law of 1888), as follows : -
1. To the custody of the State Board of Lunacy and Charity if the children have no known settlement.
2. To the overseers of the poor in towns and cities in which the children are known to have a settlement.
485
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
3. To the directors of public institutions in the city of Boston if such children have a settlement in said city.
The section further provides for the maintenance and dis- position of children so committed.
INDEX.
Reference is to Sections unless otherwise indicated.
SECTION.
Absence of Chairman 12
pupils 113
teachers 54, 71, 78
Accounts of expenditures 16
Additional school accommodations, committee on 19
Admission of pupils to primary and grammar schools . 69, 107
evening schools . 134, 137
drawing school . 137
high schools
23. 127,128
kindergartens
119
Advertisements, etc., prohibited . 97
Age, compulsory school .
page 479
of admission to primary school 107 kindergarten 119
Amendment of rules 10
Annual estimate of expenditures .
18
returns 17
school report
38
Appeals from decisions . 153
Applicants for schools 39
Art education, committee on 24-
Assignment of pupils . 69
Assistants, Third, how appointed 57
salary of 57
Attendance of pupils . 113
rules for marking 114 children, State laws concerning . page 479
Bills, approved by Secretary . 16
committee on supplies 30
Board 30
488
INDEX.
SECTION.
Books and supplies, requisitions for . 151
Books and contagious diseases 150
to be examined 149
to be labelled . . . 147
[See Text-books.]
Book agents excluded 97
Boundaries of districts 152
Calls at door 117
Census of school children page 480 by School Committee 50
Certificates, employment
42
of admission to high school 127
Changes in rules and regulations 10, 28, 73
of residence 110
in text-books 31
Chairman of Board . See Rules.
absence of 12
duties of 12
on District Committee . 3
of Standing Committees 3
Classification of schools . 100
pupils 35, 123
Classes to be in two sections.
89
Cleanliness in person and dress 112
Compulsory school age
page 479
Collections prohibited
Committee on Additional School Accommodations
19
Course of Study
23
Districts
20
Evening Schools
21,135
Finance .
22
High Schools
23
Industrial Education
24
Music
25
Private Schools
26
Repairs .
27
Rules and Regulations
28
Salaries 29
Supplies 30
Text-books 31
98
INDEX. 489
SECTION. Complaints to be heard by Principals 75 Compulsory attendance . page 479
Cooking and manual training page 476 98
Contributions prohibited
Constitution of Board
Contagious diseases . 109
State law page 479
Corporal punishment restricted 81
to be reported 81
what constitutes 81 when to be inflicted 81
Course of study, how changed . 31
to be followed 96
Detention of pupils
115
Diplomas granted
130
Directory of schools
36
Discharge cards
111
Dismissal of pupils
113
schools
102
teachers 53
District boundaries 152
committees, duties of
20
Discipline
81
teachers responsible
82
Documents to be kept on file
14
Drawing, committee on 24
required or optional 63
evening school .
page 478
special instructor in
63
Duties of Principals 67-76
teachers
77-99
Election and salaries of teachers
52-59
acceptance of
53
notices of
. 15, 53
of Secretary
2
special instructors 60
substitutes 55
Superintendent 32
teachers
53
truant officers
45
1
490
INDEX.
SECTION.
Emergency alarm 74
Employment certificates
42
of labor, laws concerning page 473
English High School, committee on 23
Estimate of expenditures . 18, 22
scholarship 124, 125
Evening schools 134-144
committee on 21, 135
law concerning
page 477
numbers required . 136
registration in 144
Principal of . 139
sessions of . 140
suspension of pupil in
142, 143
term of
140
teachers, number of
138
how appointed 58
truant officer in 51
Evening High School, law requiring
page 478
Examinations in general
124
for admission to high schools . 128
Exclusion from school, unlawful page 479
Excuses to be furnished . . 113
Executive officer of Board 33
sessions . 7
Exhibition of school work 133
Fire-drill 74
Flagrant misconduct 84
General reading 93
Grading of schools 100
Graduation exercises
131
grammar schools
20
high schools . 23
Habitual truants, absentees, and school offenders page 482
High schools
20
committees on
23
Holidays . 102
Home study .
89
Incorrigible children 48 page 482
INDEX. 491
SECTION.
Industrial schools, law for .
page 477
drawing schools, law for page 478
Injury to school property .
116
Inspection of factories, etc. 49
school buildings 40
text-books 149
Instruction by authorized persons only
97
in cooking, etc., provision for
65
drawing
63
music
62
sewing
64
Interpretation of rules 73
Interruption of teachers . 94
Inventory of text-books . 146
Janitors . 68
Janitors, duties of
pages 469-472
Kindergartens, rules for . 118-121
authority to open . 118
number allowed 120
assistants in 120 age of admission 119
Latin School, committee on . 23
Library, use of . 93
Manual training to be taught, law committee on
page 477
Marking attendance
114
scholarship 125
Meetings of Board, organization
1
regular, time of 4
open to public 7
notice of 13
of Standing Committees, record of 14 special 5
Misconduct, flagrant 84 Moral instruction 80
Music, committee on 25
Musical instruction, by whom 62
Music, pupils excused 62
Neglected children page 484
24
492
INDEX.
SECTION.
Nominations of teachers 39, 52
substitutes 26
truant officers 26
Non-resident pupils 108
State law page 478
No-school signal 41
Notice of election 53
Number of votes to elect
6
Office and hours of Superintendent 43
Order of business
8
Order, points of, how settled
11
Organization of Board
2
Pay-rolls, made by whom
16
approved .
22
of salaries approved
29
Penmanship, committee on 24
Penalties for violations of Employment Act page 475
Penalty for non-attendance page 483
Physical culture, committee on
24
President of Common Council, on committee
3
Principals, authority of 67
duties of . . 67-76
punctuality of 79,80
to supervise buildings and janitors 68
to apportion work 123
to receive and classify pupils 69
Principals, supervising, duties of . 76
Promotions and graduations . 122-133
Promotions, basis of 124
conditional 126
unconditional . 126
regular 122
individual
123
Private Schools, committee on to be visited
26
Programmes . .
90
Public day in high schools
132
Public Library, use of
93
Public visitation week . 132
26
INDEX. 493
SECTION.
Punishment, corporal . 81
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