Employer interfering with attendance officer. Penalty. Compensation. Proviso. Districts may join. Incorrigible child. ascertain whether or not any child is engaged therein Section 1435. Any officer, director, superintendent, Section 1436. Such attendance officers shall be paid such amounts and in such manner as the board of school directors appointing them may decide, and they shall at all times perform the duties of their appointment under the direction of the board of school directors appointing them: Provided, That in districts of the fourth class, the compensation of any attendance officer shall not exceed two dollars ($2.00) per day for each day actually engaged. Every school district shall report annually to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, for publication in his report upon the enforcement of the provisions for compulsory attendance and the cost thereof, in such detail as said Superintendent of Public Instruction shall request. Section 1437. Any two or more school districts may join in the appointment of an attendance officer on such terms as they may mutually agree upon. Section 1438. In case any child between eight and sixteen years of age cannot be kept in school in compliance with the provisions of this act, on account of incorrigibility, truancy, insubordination, or other bad conduct, or if the presence of any such child attending school is detrimental to the welfare of such school, on account of incorrigibility, truancy, insubordination, or other bad conduct, then, in any such case, the board of school directors of the proper district may, by its superintendent, supervising principal, secretary, or attendance officer, under such rules and regulations as said board may adopt, proceed against said child before H 1 the juvenile court, or otherwise, as is now or may hereafter be provided by law for incorrigible, truant, insubordinate, or delinquent children. ARTICLE XV. MEDICAL INSPECTION AND HYGIENE. of pupils. Section 1501. Every school district of the first, sec- Medical inspection ond, or third class in this Commonwealth shall annually provide medical inspection of all the pupils of its public schools by proper medical inspectors, to be appointed by the board of school directors of the district. Such medical inspection shall be made in the presence of the parent or guardian of the pupil, when so requested by parent or guardian. All such medical Inspectors. inspectors shall be physicians legally qualified to practice medicine in this Commonwealth, who have had at least two years' experience in the practice of their pro fession, and shall be paid such amounts as the boards Compensation. in the school districts of this Commonwealth: Provided Proviso. Section 1502. In school districts of the first class, wherein the Department or Board of Health therein is providing the medical inspection for the public schools as required by this act, said Department or Board of Health may, if it so elects, continue to provide such medical inspection, and appoint such number of inspectors therefor, with such salaries, as shall be satisfactory to the board of school directors of the district, and the medical inspection so provided shall be deemed a compliance with this act, and shall be paid for by the school district. First class district inspections. districts. Section 1503. In every school district of the fourth Fourth class class in this Commonwealth the State Department of Health shall provide, in such manner as it may determine, medical inspection for all the pupils in the public schools by proper medical inspectors, to be ap- Medical inspection. pointed by the State Commissioner of Health, at the expense of said Department. All such medical inspectors shall be legally qualified physicians, who have had not less than two years' experience in the practice of their profession. Such medical inspection shall be Inspectors. made in the presence of the parent or guardian of the Proviso. Vote of directors. Failure to act. Notice. Annual inspection. Report. Copy of report for parents, etc. Inspection of privies, cellars, etc. Sanitary conditions. pupil, when so requested by parent or guardian: Provided, That if the board of school directors of any school district of the fourth class shall decide, by a majority vote of the members thereof, not to have medical inspection of the pupils in a part or all of the schools of such district, and the Commissioner of Health is officially notified thereof, in writing, before the first day of July, such medical inspection shall not be made in such schools during the following school year. Section 1504. If, in any school district which is required by this act to provide medical inspection for its public schools, such medical inspection as is herein required is not furnished within thirty days after the beginning of the school year, the Commissioner of Health shall, after two weeks' written notice to the board of school directors of such district, appoint a properly qualified medical inspector, or inspectors, for the district, for the remainder of the school year, and shall fix the compensation for the same, which shall be paid by the district. Section 1505. The medical inspectors shall, at least once each year, inspect and carefully test and examine all pupils in the public schools of their districts, giving special attention to defective sight, hearing, or other disabilities and defects specified by the Commissioner of Health in his directions for the medical examinations of schools. Each medical inspector shall make to the teacher, or, if the board of school directors so directs, to the principal or district superintendent of schools, a written report concerning all pupils found to need medical or surgical attention, and giving careful directions concerning the care of each pupil who needs special care while in school. The teacher, or the principal, or district superintendent shall keep such report until the end of the school year, shall carry out as carefully as possible said directions concerning the special care of pupils while in school, and shall promptly send a copy of the medical inspector's report upon each child to the parents or guardian thereof. Section 1506. The medical inspector shall, at least once each year, and as early in the school term as possible, make a careful examination of all privies, waterclosets, urinals, cellars, the water-supply, and drinking-vessels and utensils, and shall make such additional examinations of the sanitary conditions of the school buildings and grounds as he deems necessary, or as the regulations of the State Department of Health, or the rules of the board of school directors or of the local board of health require. He shall see that the laws of the Commonwealth relating to the health and sanitation of the public schools and the requirements of the local board of health are complied with. Commissioner Section 1507. He shall promptly make such reports Reports to to the Commissioner of Health as are required by him of Health. or by the regulations of his department, and such reports to the local boards of school directors as he deems necessary, or as are required by the Commissioner of Health or by the board of school directors. He shall perform such other duties as may be required Other duties. by the health and sanitation laws of this Commonwealth or by the board of school directors. Section 1508. Any board of school directors may School nurses. employ one or more school nurses, who shall be graduates of reputable training schools for nurses, and shall define their duties. Persons having Section 1509. No person having tuberculosis of the lungs shall be a pupil, teacher, janitor, or other em- tuberculosis. ployee in any public school, unless it be a special school carried on under the regulations made for such schools by the Commissioner of Health. attendance. Section 1510. Any pupil prevented from attending Certain pupils school on account of the health or sanitation laws of relieved from this Commonwealth, or by the sanitary regulations of the local board of health or the board of school directors, is hereby relieved from complying with the provisions of this act concerning compulsory attendance, during such time as he is thereby prevented from attending school. ARTICLE XVI. TERMS AND COURSES OF STUDY. In Section 1601. All the public elementary and high schools in the several school districts of this Commonwealth shall be kept open each year as follows: school districts of the first and second class, at least nine months; in school districts of the third class, at least eight months, and in school districts of the fourth class, at least seven months. And, unless otherwise provided by this act, the board of school directors in any district may keep such other schools or departments, as it may establish, open during such time as it may direct. School terms. Section 1602. Twenty days of actual teaching shall School month constitute a school month. construed. Section 1603. No school shall be kept open on any When school Saturday for the purpose of ordinary instruction, ex- shall be closed. cept when Monday is fixed by the board of school directors as the weekly holiday, or on Sunday, Fourth of July, or Christmas, nor shall any school be kept open in any district during the time of holding the teachers' institute for such district. of holidays. Section 1604. The board of school directors in any Observation district in this Commonwealth shall, by a majority vote, decide which other holidays may be observed by special exercises, and on which holidays, if any, the Proviso. Date of beginning of term. School hours. Commencements. schools shall be closed during the whole or part of the day. And the board of school directors may provide for such vacations in its district as it deems wise: Provided, That no days on which the schools are closed shall be counted as days taught. Section 1605. The board of school directors of each school district shall fix the date of the beginning of the school term, and, unless otherwise determined by the board, the daily session of school shall open at nine ante meridian and close at four post meridian, with an intermission of one hour at noon, and an intermission of fifteen minutes in the forenoon and in the afternoon. Section 1606. The board of school directors may fix the date of the school commencement, and shall pay such expenses in connection therewith as it may determine. Branches of study. Humane education. Vocal music, domestic science, etc. Proviso. Physical training. Arrangement of courses. Physiology and hygiene. drinks, etc. COURSES OF STUDY. Section 1607. In every elementary public school, established and maintained in this Commonwealth under the provisions of this act, there shall be taught in the English language the following common English branches: Spelling, reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, English grammar, history of the United States and of Pennsylvania, including the elements of civil government, physiology and hygiene; also a system of humane education, which shall include kind treatment of horses, birds, and other animals, together with such other branches, including vocal music, public speaking, drawing, physical training, elementary manual training, elementary domestic science, and elementary agriculture, as the board of school directors in any district, with the approval of the proper superintendent of schools, may prescribe: Provided, That in all school districts of the first class, physical training shall be carried on as a part of the regular course of study in the public schools. Section 1608. The board of school directors in every school district in this Commonwealth, with the advice, assistance and approval of the proper superintendent of schools, shall arrange a course or courses of study adapted to the age, development, and needs of the pu pils. These courses of study shall conform to any general course of study arranged by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, so far as the local conditions in respective districts permit. Section 1609. Physiology and hygiene, which shall in each division of the subject so pursued include speEffect of alcoholic cial reference to the effect of alcoholic drinks, stimulants, and narcotics upon the human system, and which shall also include special reference to tuberculosis and its prevention, shall be introduced and studied as a regular branch by all pupils in all depart |