COMPULSORY SCHOOL LAWS.

United States.-Twenty-nine States and two Territories have passed compulsory school laws defining the ages to which the law shall apply, the annual term of school attendance, and the penalty imposed upon parents or guardians for violation of the law.

These requirements are summarized in the following table:

Compulsory education requirements in the United States.

State.

Maine

New Hampshire...

Vermont.

Massachusetts.

Rhode Island

Connecticut

New York

New Jersey

Pennsylvania...

District of Columbia.

West Virginia..

Kentucky..

Ohio

Indiana

Illinois.

Michigan

Wisconsin

Minnesota

North Dakota

South Dakota

Nebraska.

Kansas..

Montana

Wyoming..

Colorado

New Mexico..

Utah

Nevada

Idaho

Washington
Oregon..

California.

Each offense, $10 to $25 or impris onment 1 to 3 months.

First offense, $2 (maximum); each
subsequent offense, $5 (maxi-
mum).

12 weeks; 6 consecutive... Fine, $:20 (maximum).
8-14 16 weeks
7-14

subsequent offense, $10 to $20. Each offense, $5 to $20 or 30 days' imprisonment.

Each offense. $25 (maximum).
Each offense, $5 to $25.

Fine, $1 to $25, or imprisonment for
not more than 10 days.
First offense, $10

(maximum);
each subsequent offense, $30.
First offense, $50 to $100; each sub-
sequent offense. $100 to $200.
First, $5 to $20; subsequent of-
fenses, $10 to $50.
Fine, $10 to $25.

First offense, $5 to $25; subsequent
offense, $25 to $50.
First offense, $20; each subsequent
offense, $20 to $50.

a To 16 if unemployed in labor.

b The law applies to youths 12 to 16 years of age if discharged from employment in order to receive instruction.

Compulsory education in foreign countries.

Country.

Age.

Austria

Attendance required.

6-14 Until scholar has ac-
quired prescribed sub-
jects, religion and read-
ing, writing, and arith-
metic.

Bavaria..

a 6-14

6-13

No compulsory law..
For 4 absences of half a
day in a month the par-
ent is summoned before
local school committee.
Full school term unless
by special arrangement.
do

No compulsory law.

Penalty.

Fine $3.50 (maximum) or impris onment up to 2 days.

Fine $11 (maximum) or 8 days' imprisonment.

First and second offenses, warning; subsequent, fine, $3 (maximum) and imprisonment 5 days. Determined by local by-laws. Fine $5 or imprisonment 14 days.

b6-12 8 months, country; 10 Fine from 35 cents to $1.50.

months, town.

No fixed rule

12 weeks per annum

8 years, or until element-
ary education is com-
pleted.
d7-15 Same as Austria..

England.

5-13

Scotland

5-13

Holland.

Hungary

Italy.

6-9

Norway

(c)

Prussia

6-14

Saxony

Sweden

Berne

Geneva

Neufchatel

Tessin (Switzerland).

6-14

Vaud (Switzerland)..

7-14 34 weeks
6-15

6-15

7-16

Five-sixths of possible at-
tendances.

4 days a week, 6 hours a
day.

After 13 years of age, 10
hours a week.

28 hours a week for 6 to 9
months.

7-16 33 hours a week

Every day; penalties for
10 absences.

6-14 Every school day.

No compulsory law.
One half the period dur-

ing which the school is

open.

Grisons (Switzerland)

7-15

Zurich....

6-16

Wurtemberg

British Columbia.

7-12

7-13

80 days a year

100 days a year

a 13 to 16 in secular Sunday Schools.

b12 to 15 continuation.

c From 8 until confirmation; in town from 7 until confirmation.

d Special dispensation after 7 years' attendance and 1 year's prolongation for ignorance. e Compulsion not yet enforced.

TEMPERANCE INSTRUCTION.

Legislative provisions relating to scientific temperance instruction in the various

States.

EXPLANATION OF MARKS.

X The cross signifies that scientific temperance is a mandatory study in public schools. The star signifies that this is a mandatory study, and that a penalty is attached to the enforcing clause of this statute in the State or Territory to which it is affixed.

The dagger signifies that the study is not only mandatory but is required of all pupils in all schools.

The double dagger signifies that the study is required of all pupils in all schools, and is to be pursued with text-books in the hands of pupils able to read.

The parallel indicates that the study is to be taught in the same manner and as thoroughly as other required branches.

§ The section indicates that text-books on this topic used in primary and intermediate schools must give one-fourth or one-fifth their space to temperance matter, and those used in high schools not less than 20 pages.

The paragraph indicates that no teacher who has not passed a satisfactory examination in this subject is granted a certificate or authorized to teach.

a The alpha indicates that text-books on this topic shall give full and adequate space to the temperance matter.

B The beta signifies that a definite number of lessons for each school year has been made compulsory. The letter a indicates assent or "yes," referring to the conditions signified by the character at the head of the column.

WOMEN IN SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION.

There are at present 2 women holding the position of State superintendent of schools, 12 that of city superintendent, 228 that of county superintendent. The status of women in respect to directive influence in school affairs is tersely summarized as follows:

Women may hold any school office in Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Lonisiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania,' South Dakota, and Wyoming. Women may be county superintendents in Kentucky (if holding a State teacher's diploma), Montana (district offices also), Tennessee, and Wisconsin (city, town, and district offices also). Women may be commissioners and school district officers in New York.

Women may be local town or district officers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa (where a woman must be a member of the State educational board of examiners), Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, and Vermont.

Women have like suffrage with men in Colorado, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. They may vote (1) on general school questions in Minnesota (at any election or at any district meeting), in North Dakota, and South Dakota; (2) on local school questions in Arizona, Iowa (on issue of bonds or increase of tax levy), Kansas, Kentucky (if widowed parents or guardians or spinster guardians of school children), Michigan, Nebraska, New York (if parents and taxpayers), Montana (at district elections), New Hampshire, New Jersey (restricted from voting for members of boards of education), Ohio (for members of boards), Oregon (widows with children to educate and taxpayers), Vermont (on all questions pertaining to schools), Washington (for directors), and Wisconsin.

WOMEN STATE SUPERINTENDENTS OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

Colorado, Miss Grace E. Patton, Denver.
Wyoming, Miss Estelle Reel, Cheyenne.

WOMEN CITY SUPERINTENDENTS, 1896–97.

Leavenworth, Kans., Miss Mamie E. Dolphin.
Bangor, Me., Miss Mary E. Snow.

Brewer, Me., Mrs. Mertie M. Custis.

Orange, Mass., Lizzie A. Mason.
Rockport, Mass., Mary L. Lincoln.

Marquette, Mich., Anna M. Chandler.
Malone, N. Y., Sarah L. Perry.
Bristol, Oreg., Louise D. Baggs.
Johnston, R. I., Sarah D. Barnes.

Logan, Utah, Jennie D. Hubbard.

Brattleboro, Vt., Miss M. Belle Smith.

Appleton, Wis., Carrie E. Morgan.

Depere (East Side), Wis., Violet M. Alden.

Park
Routt
San Juan
Summit
Washington.