its kind, number, and date of issue, together with the branches which it covers. Whenever new branches are added to any certificate, these shall be added to the record upon presentation of said certificate to the superintendent.

School attendance.

Residence of child.

Admission of beginners.

Proviso.

Proviso.

Beginners defined.

Pupils may attend school in another district.

ARTICLE XIV.

PUPILS AND ATTENDANCE.

Section 1401. Every child, being a resident of any school district in this Commonwealth, between the ages of six and twenty-one years, may attend the public schools in his district, subject to the provisions of this act.

Section 1402. A child shall be considered a resident of the school district in which his parents or the guardian of his person resides. If any child has no parents or guardian of his person, then such child shall be considered a resident of the district in which the person sustaining parental relations to such child resides.

Section 1403. Unless otherwise directed by the board of school directors, the admission of beginners to the public schools shall be confined to two periods, namely, during the first two weeks of the annual school term, and during the first two weeks of school following the first day of January in any school year: Provided, That beginners becoming six years of age after the beginning of the school term, and before the first day of January of any year, shall be admitted during the period at the beginning of the school term, and beginners becoming six years of age between the first day of January and the close of the term shall be admitted during the period following the first day of January: Provided further, That the board of school directors in any school district may fix such other periods for the admission of such beginners as it may determine.

The term beginners, as used in this section, shall mean any child that should enter the lowest grade of the primary school or the lowest primary class.

Section 1404. Where any pupil in any school district in this Commonwealth resides one and one-halfmiles, or more, by the public road, from the nearest public elementary school in the district, such pupil, unless proper free transportation be furnished to a suitable school in the district, on obtaining the consent of the board of school directors thereof, may attend any public elementary school in another school district more convenient of access, without the consent of the board of school directors of the district where such pupil resides; and the district where such pupil resides shall promptly pay, to the district where such

pupil attends, the cost of his tuition, text-books, and school supplies only, which shall not exceed that of the tuition, text-books, and school supplies of other pupils pursuing similar courses or studies in the same schools. The board of school directors of any district in this Commonwealth may, on account of convenience of access, or other reasons, permit any pupils to attend the schools of another district, on such terms as the two boards of school directors may mutually agree upon. The board of school directors in any school district Free transportain this Commonwealth may, out of the funds of the district, provide for the free transportation of any pupil to and from the public schools.

tion of pupils.

be sub-divided.

Proviso.

Section 1405. The board of school directors of every Districts may school district in this Commonwealth shall, for the purpose of designating the schools to be attended by the several pupils in said district, sub-divide the same in such manner that all the pupils in each school district, shall be assigned to, and reasonably accommodated in, one of the public schools in said school district: Provided, That the board of school directors may, upon cause shown, permit any pupil or pupils in any school district to attend such other school in said district as the board may deem proper, or may classify and assign the pupils in the district to any such school or schools therein as it may deem best, in order to properly educate the same: Provided further, That Proviso. hereafter it shall be unlawful for any school director, Unlawful to superintendent, or teacher to make any distinction whatever, on account of, or by reason of, the race or color of any pupil or scholar who may be in attendance upon, or seeking admission to, any public school maintained wholly or in part under the school laws of the Commonwealth.

make distinction as to race or color.

School may be closed and con

Section 1406. The board of school directors of any school district in this Commonwealth may, on account solidated. of the small number of pupils in attendance, or the condition of the then existing school building, or for the purpose of better gradation and classification, or for economical or other reasons, close and consolidate any one or more of the public schools in its district, and, upon such school or schools being so closed, the pupils who belong to the same shall be assigned to other schools: Provided, That in any district of the Proviso. fourth class, pupils who belong to any such closed school, and reside one and a half miles or more from the school to which they are assigned, shall be furnished proper transportation, at the expense of the district, to and from the school to which they are assigned.

and supplies

Section 1407. If any such pupils are assigned to an Tuition, books adjoining district, the district where such pupils re- shall be paid side shall promptly pay, to the district in which they in which pupil attend school, the cost of tuition, text-books, and resides.

by district

Transportation of pupils.

Distances computed. Proviso.

Non-resident pupils.

Teachers to have parental authority.

Suspension of pupils.

Proviso.

Orphans.

school supplies only, which shall not exceed that of the tuition, text-books, and school supplies of other pupils pursuing similar courses or studies in the same schools: Provided, That the consent of the board of school directors of the district to which the pupils of any closed school are sent shall be first obtained.

Section 1408. Where, by the terms of this act, any distance is specified between the residence of any pupil and any public school to be attended by him, or any transportation is provided for within or beyond any particular distance, in computing such distance no allowance shall be made for the distance that the dwelling-house of the pupil is situated off the public highway. All such distances shall be computed by the nearest public highway: Provided, That the free transportation of pupils, as required or authorized by this act, may be furnished by using electric railways, school conveyances, or other public transportation, when the total distance which any pupil must travel between his residence and the school, in addition to such transportation, does not exceed one and one-half miles, and when stations or other proper shelters are provided for the use of such pupils where needed.

Section 1409. The board of school directors of any school district in this Commonwealth may permit any non-resident pupil to attend the public schools in its district, upon such terms as it may determine, subject to the provisions of this act.

Section 1410. Every teacher in the public schools in this Commonwealth shall have the right to exercise the same authority as to conduct and behavior over the pupils attending his school, during the time they are in attendance, including the time required in going to and from their homes, as the parents, guardians, or persons in parental relation to such pupils may exercise over them.

Section 1411. Every principal or teacher in charge of a public school in this Commonwealth may temporarily suspend any pupil on account of disobedience or misconduct, and any principal or teacher suspending any pupil shall promptly notify the district superintendent, supervising principal, or secretary of the board of school directors; and the board may, after a proper hearing, suspend such child for such time as it may determine, or may permanently expel him: Provided, That such hearing, suspension, or expulsion may be delegated to a duly authorized committee of the board.

Section 1412. The board of school directors of any school district in this Commonwealth, in which there is located any orphan asylum, home for the friendless, children's home, or other institution for the care or training of orphans or other children, may permit any children who are inmates of such homes, but not legal

to be educated.

residents in such district, to attend the public schools in said district. The education of such non-resident children in any school district may be done without charge by the district, or at a cost not exceeding the cost of tuition, text-books, and school supplies of other children of similar grade in such district. Section 1413. It shall be the duty of the county or Deficient children district superintendent, attendance officer, or secretary of the board of school directors, in every school district in this Commonwealth, to report to the medical inspector of the school district every blind, deaf, or mentally deficient child in the district, between the ages of eight (8) and sixteen (16) years, who is not being properly educated and trained. The medical inspector of the school district shall examine such child, and report to the board of school directors whether it is a fit subject for education and training. If the child is reported to be a fit subject for education and training, but cannot be properly educated and trained in the public schools of the district, the board of school directors shall secure for it proper education and training: Provided, That Proviso. when it is necessary to educate or train such children outside of the public schools, their parents or guardians shall, if able to do so, pay to the district the expense necessarily incurred by it in educating and training the same: And provided further, That any child Proviso. who is reported by the medical inspector of the school district not to be a fit subject for education and training shall be exempt from the provisions of this act.

ATTENDANCE OF PUPILS.

Section 1414. Every child having a legal residence Attendance. in this Commonwealth, as herein provided, between the ages of eight and sixteen years, is required to attend a day school in which the common English branches provided for in this act are taught; and every parent, guardian, or other person, in this Commonwealth, having control or charge of any child or children, between the ages of eight and sixteen years, is required to send such child or children to a day school in which the common English branches are taught; and such child or children shall attend such school continuously through the entire term, during which the public elementary schools in their respective districts shall be in session: Provided, That the certificate of any prin- Proviso. cipal or teacher of a private school, or of any institution for the education of children in which the common English branches are taught, setting forth that the work of said school is in compliance with the provisions of this act, shall be sufficient and satisfactory evidence thereof. Regular daily instruction in the English language, for the time herein required, by a properly qualified private tutor, shall be considered as complying with the provisions of this section, if such in

Proviso.

Exceptions to compulsory attendance.

Not applicable to children who

certificates.

struction is satisfactory to the proper county or district superintendent of schools: Provided further, That the board of school directors in any district of the fourth class may, at a meeting held at any time before the opening of the school term, reduce the period of compulsory attendance to not less than seventy per centum of the school term as fixed in such district, in which case, however, the board of school directors must, at the same time, fix the period for the compulsory attendance to begin.

Section 1415. The board of school directors of any school district in this Commonwealth may, upon satisfactory evidence being furnished to it, showing that any child or children are prevented from attending school, or from application to study, on account of any mental, physical, or other urgent reasons, excuse such child or children from attending school as required by the provisions of this act, but the term "urgent reasons" shall be strictly construed and shall not permit of irregular attendance. Every principal or teacher in any public, private, or other school may, for reasons enumerated above, excuse any child for non-attendance during temporary periods.

Section 1416. The provisions of this act requiring have employment regular attendance shall not apply to any child, between the ages of fourteen and sixteen years, who can read and write intelligently and is regularly engaged in any useful and lawful employment or service during the time the public schools are in session, and who holds an employment certificate issued according to law.

Teachers to make report of children admitted to other public schools.

Report of withdrawals from private school.

Section 1417. Every principal or teacher in every other than a public school, and in every institution for children, and every private teacher in every school district in this Commonwealth, shall, immediately after their admission to such school or institution, or at the beginning of such private teaching, furnish to the district superintendents, supervising principals, or secretaries of the boards of school directors of the districts wherein the parents or guardians of such children reside, lists of the names and residences of all children between eight and sixteen years of age enrolled in such school or institution, or taught by such private teacher; and shall further report at once to such district superintendent, supervising principal, or secretary of the board of school directors the name and date of withdrawal of any such pupil withdrawing from any such school or institution, or from such private instruction, if such withdrawal occurs during the period of compulsory attendance in said district. And every principal or teacher in a school other than a public school, and every private teacher, shall also report at once to the superintendent, supervising principal, or secretary of the board of school directors of the district, any such