Rensselaer Journal, Volume 12, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 October 1902 — The Truancy Law. [ARTICLE]

The Truancy Law.

The law reads: “That every parent, guardian, or other person having control of any ohlld or ohildren, between the ages of seven and fourteen years, shall he required to send suoh child or children to a public, private, or parochial school each school year, for a period not less than that of the public schools of the sohool corporation Where the child resides. That truant officer shall see that the provisions of this aot, arc* complied with, and when from personal knowledge, or by report or oomplaint from any resident or teacher of the township under his supervision, he believes that any child subject to the provisions of this act is habitually tardy or absent from sohool, he shall immediately give written notice to the f>mrent or guardian that the attendance of such child at sohool 1b required, and if within five days such parent or guardian does not oomply with the provisions of this section, then the truant officer shall make complaint against snoh parent or guardian In any court of record for violation of the provisions of this act. Any parent or guardian who shall violate the provisions of this act shall be adjudged guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be fined in any sum not less than $5.00 nor more than $25.00, to which may be added, in the discretion of the court, imprisonment in the county jail not less than two nor more than ninety days. The state superintendent has construed that part of the aot referring to the age of the child to mean from the birthday that makes it seven to the birthday that makes it fifteen years of age. Heretofore it was generally considered that when a child had reaohed its fourteenth birthday it was exempt from further compulsory attendance.