Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 9.djvu/29

 SCHOOLS FOR DEPENDENT CHILDREN I 5

January I, 1894, and January i, 1900, and the total cost of their maintenance, exclusive of the cost of the land and buildings, was $138,869.60, or $376.34 per capita. The per-capita cost per annum is about $200. Since the opening of the institution 576 girls have been received, 381 have been discharged, and there are 195 in the school at present. The superintendent claims that 80 per cent, of those paroled do well. A visitor is employed to investigate the homes to which the girls are sent, and to watch over them after they are paroled.

III. TRUANCY, AND THE PARENTAL SCHOOL.

It has been conclusively demonstrated by experience that truancy is the prolific parent of crime. According to the reports, 90 per cent, of the boys committed to the old Chicago Reform School and to the Illinois Reformatory began their downward career by playing truant, and the records of other such institutions would doubtless show the same thing. It also appears that the vast majority of the inmates of our reforma- tories and prisons are ignorant and illiterate. Hence it became apparent, years ago, that in order to prevent crime we must pre- vent truancy. Massachusetts led the way in establishing parental or truant schools, and other states have followed her good example.

The first compulsory-education law in Illinois was passed in 1883. Four years before, such a law had been proposed by a German member of the legislature from Chicago, but the propo- sition was pooh-poohed, and he was told that, while such a law might be enacted in Germany, it could not be enforced in free America. The first compulsory-education law was amended several times, until finally in 1897, the present act was passed.

This act provides that "every person having control of any child between the ages of seven and fourteen years shall annu- ally cause such child to attend for at least sixteen weeks, twelve weeks of which attendance shall be consecutive, some public or private school," or the parent or guardian of the child must provide a private tutor for him. The board of education is authorized and directed to appoint a corps of truant officers to