Number of complaints made in Police Court a parents refusing to send children to schoo Number of complaints from principals of p schools .. Number of notices received from Factory Ins Number of boys arrested for truancy. Number of girls arrested for truancy.. The above figures still do not give an exa the total amount of truancy in the city. The taken merely as a convenient, but rough, depends largely upon the discretion and s teachers and principals whether the childre reported as truants, or not. In some child may be out of school several days, or ev without being reported. A case of this kind 1 to mind. I noticed one of the boys I happene sulking about the streets for two or three enquiring why he was not in school, he told n mother had kept him home to help her, and few days he was "going to get a job on G suspected him of truancy, and so telephoned tenant of the Truant Squad to ask if the case reported. He said that no report had been red that the case would be looked into. In the n I went to the school to find out what I could th principal confessed she did not know the boy absent until that very morning. In going th rooms she missed the boy from his accustomed on enquiring of the teacher in charge the rea absence received the reply that some of the oth had said that the boy was quite sick. The te thought it not worth while to report the case time the truant officers had served a notice on of the truant boy, he had been out of school week. This is not an isolated case, but typical 8 16 41 20 67 a of t be It. es of all be -es a comes .. On it in a et". I e Lieu ad been wed; but antime I re. The ad been ough the lace, and on of his · children icher had By the he mother or over a which frequently occur. Almost any day in early spring and summer, groups of two or three boys can be seen during school hours loitering about the streets of the poorer districts, or frequenting the water-front. I have caught as many as twenty such boys fishing in the river on a fine spring afternoon. There must be some reason why so many children break the bounds of school and home and wander into the ranks of truants. We have considered at some length in another part of this study a few of the more important causes of truancy and juvenile delinquence. It remains here to consider what the public schools are doing to counteract this tendency in the growing children. It is unnecessary to describe in detail the organization and methods of instruction in our public schools. Enough is known to assure us that, on the whole, they are doing a splendid work. The public school should be the pride of every American citizen. It is to be feared, however, that too much stress is being put upon literary instruction-the three R's, if you will-and not enough upon the training of eye and hand for future usefulness. A thorough elementary education is absolutely essential; but systematic instruction in manual training should also be given to that large number of boys and girls compelled to leave school at an early age to work in the shops and factories. There can be no doubt that many a boy loses interest in school because he does not see in the studies pursued any direct application to the practical hand work which he, sooner or later, must take up. Much truancy may result from such lack of interest. Where manual training has been tried it has proved eminently successful in reclaiming boys who would have otherwise been truants. Simple wood-working, irontwisting, or forge work, would interest many a wayward boy. Domestic science would appeal more to the girls. It is to be hoped that manual training and domestic science will gradually be introduced as workin into every public and private school. Steps ha been taken along the above lines in some of t schools; but the scope of the work should be especially in the poorer districts, and at the tru Let us look for a moment at the legal ma force for the treatment of truants. The C Education Act provides: "That in cities having a duly organi force, it shall be the duty of the police a at the request of the school authorities, to or more members of such police force to the duties of truant officer, providing tha herein shall be construed as prohibiting a of education from appointing any citizen n officer as truant officer." "'* According to the first part of this clause. department of Detroit detailed four policemen direction of a Lieutenant to look after juvenile and see that the compulsory school law is enfor provision for truant officers not under the ju of the police department has, so far as is kno been taken advantage of by the school authoriti has limited somewhat the good that might h accomplished by truant officers not appointe police department. Section 3 of the Act specifically states that: "It shall be the duty of the truant office ever notified by the teacher or other perso lations of this act) to investigate all cases o or non-attendance at school and render a *Compiled Laws, No 4847; Act 95, 1895; Amended within his power to compel children to attend school, and when informed of continued non-attendance by any teacher or resident of the school district he shall immediately notify the person having control of such children that on the following Monday morning such children shall present themselves with the necessary text-books for instruction in the proper school or schools of the district."19 It is seen, therefore, that the enforcement of the Compulsory Education Act is almost wholly in the hands of the Truant Squad. School teachers, principals and other citizens should report promptly all truancy cases if the law is to be carried out with good effect. A great deal depends upon discovering and treating truancy in its inception. Furthermore the law provides that: "In all city school districts in this State having a school census of five hundred or more pupils, the school board or officers having in charge the schools of such districts may establish one or more ungraded schools for the instruction of certain children (children cities between, the ages of 7 and 16 years classed as juvenile disorderly persons). They may, through their truant officer and superintendent of schools, require such children to attend said ungraded schools, or any department of their graded schools as said Board of Education may direct.' 9920 Under the above provision the Board of Education created in Detroit an ungraded school. It occupies three or four unattractive rooms in what used to be an old German Academy at No. 251 Champlain principal and two teachers look after the inte wayward boys. For the past two or three boys have been brought here, there being ungraded school suitable for truant or diso The provisions at the school are ina meet fully the needs of truant children. Man of some sort should by all means be introdu attractive quarters should be provided, an advanced methods of instruction, under thoro petent teachers, applied to teaching the boys. vision ought also be made for truant girls. T of such school should have a great deal of disc the disposition of children coming under his now is the principal's duties are largely cleri CHARITABLE TREATMENT. The various charities of the city give their most part to neglected and dependent child unnecessary to set forth a list of the activi charities which apply directly or indirectly to such children. It should be said that the age of the societies are also interested in delinque and make it a point to aid them when possi bulk of their work is with the other classes. PUNITIVE AND REFORMATORY TREATME It must be admitted that in the treatment lected, dependent and delinquent children stands for some of the most advanced a methods. The placing-out system in the Sta reduce the number of children retained in lar tions and place them in a more natural a environment. The appointment by the Gov County Agent for each county in the State, |