REVIEW QUESTIONS

What vocational schools may a city board of education establish? When must a board of education establish a part-time or continuation school? What pupils are required to attend such school? Where may part-time or continuation schools or classes be established? How long must such schools or classes be in session? Who approves the courses of study? What subjects must be included in the course of study? When must a board of education arrange to begin to operate and maintain a part-time or continuation school? State the required number of hours of attendance per week. What is the duty of the Regents respecting the establishment of regulations to govern such schools and the attendance of minors? What is the penalty for the failure of a parent or guardian to require regular attendance? State the duty of an employer with respect to permitting attendance in such schools or classes; the penalty for failure to perform such duty. What penalty may be imposed upon a city or district for failing or refusing to provide necessary funds? When may the board of education of a union free school district establish industrial schools and schools of agriculture, mechanic arts and homemaking? What authorities have power to employ a director of agriculture? State the provisions of the law affecting the appointment of an advisory board. Define the authority of the board of education over such schools. Give the provisions for State aid.

What is the federal vocational law? What is its purpose? What amount was appropriated by Congress in 1917? What amount does the bill call for in 1725-26? Name four specific purposes for which this money was appropriated. Name the maximum amount to be appropriated for each of these purposes. Name the four conditions which a State must satisfy to be entitled to share in such funds. What action did the Legislature of New York take in 1917?

CHAPTER XIX

*TEXT-BOOKS, ARBOR DAY, FLAG LAW, SAVINGS BANKS

[Articles 25, 27, 29]

Adoption of Text-Books. In union free-school districts and cities, boards of education or bodies performing the duties of boards of education, constitute the proper authority to determine and adopt the text-books that shall be used in the schools under their jurisdiction.

In common-school districts, text-books for use in such schools. must be designated by the legal voters of each of such districts. at an annual meeting. The votes of two-thirds of all the legal voters present and voting at such meeting are necessary to adopt any text-book. As the law provides that the adoption of textbooks in a common-school district shall be at an annual meeting, such action cannot be taken at a special meeting.

Change of Text-Books. After a text-book shall have been regularly adopted for the schools of a union free-school district or city by the board of education of such district or city, or by any other body performing the duty of such board, it is unlawful for such board to supersede the books thus adopted by any other book within a period of five years from the date on which such books were adopted, except by a three-fourths vote of the members of such board.

In a common-school district, after a text-book has been regularly adopted it cannot lawfully be superseded within a period of five years, except upon a three-fourths vote of the legal voters of such district present and voting at an annual meeting.

After a text-book regularly adopted has been in use in a union. free-school district or city for five or more years, such book may be superseded by another book, by a majority vote of the members of the board of education having jurisdiction. In a common

* See Chapter 653, Laws of 1913, as to special act authorizing uniform text-books for St. Lawrence county.

school district, after a text-book, regularly adopted, has been in use for five or more years, it may be superseded by another book, by a two-thirds vote of the legal voters of such district present and voting at any annual meeting.

Penalty for Violations.- Any person or persons guilty of a violation of the provisions stated in either of the foregoing paragraphs, is liable to a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $100 for each offense.

Fine, How Collected.―ny taxpayer may sue any person guilty of a violation of these provisions before a justice of the peace. Such fine, when collected, should be paid to the collector or treasurer of the district in which such violation occurred, and used for the benefit of the schools of such district.

Supplying Pupils with Text-Books.- A meeting of a union free-school district may vote an appropriation for supplying indigent pupils with text-books. When such action is taken by a district meeting, it is the duty of the board of education to provide books for such pupils.

Free Text-Books.- A majority of the legal voters of a union free-school district may decide to supply the pupils of such district with free text-books. This question may be voted upon at a special meeting regularly called, or at an annual meeting when notice has been duly given that such vote will be taken. The vote must be by the ayes and noes and must be duly recorded. When the voters of a district have decided to furnish pupils free text-books, the board of education of such district must supply all pupils within ninety days with free text-books. The board of education has authority to prescribe regulations for the care, use, and distribution of books.

Rental or Sale of Text-Books.- Under the provisions of chapter 379 of the Laws of 1918, in the several cities and union freeschool districts of the State, boards of education or other school authorities may purchase text-books and supplies and either rent or sell the same to the pupils attending the public schools in such cities and union free-school districts upon such terms and under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by such boards of education or other school authorities.

Text-Books Containing Seditious or Disloyal Matter." No text-book in any subject used in the public schools of the State

shall contain any matter or statements of any kind which are seditious in character, disloyal to the United States or favorable to the cause of any foreign country with which the United States is now at war. A commission is hereby created, consisting of the commissioner of education and of two persons to be designated by the regents of the university of the state of New York, whose duty it shall be on complaint to examine text-books used in the public schools of the state, in the subjects of civics, economics, English, history, language and literature, for the purpose of determining whether such text-books contain any matter or statements of any kind which are seditious in character, disloyal to the United States or favorable to the cause of any foreign country with which the United States is now at war. Any person may present a written complaint to such commission that a text-book in any of the aforesaid subjects for use in the public schools of this state or offered for sale for use in the public schools of this state contains matter or statements in violation of this section, specifying such matter or statements in detail. If the commission determine that the text-book against which complaint is made contains any such matter or statements, it shall issue a certificate disapproving the use of such text-book in the public schools of this state, together with a statement of the reasons for its disapproval, specifying the matter found unlawful. Such certificate of disapproval of a text-book, with a detailed. statement of the reasons for its disapproval, shall be duly forwarded to the boards of education or other boards or authorities having jurisdiction of the public schools of the cities, towns or school districts of this state, and after the receipt of such certificate the use of a text-book so disapproved shall be discontinued in such city, town or school district.

"Any contract hereafter made by any such board of education or other school authorities for the purchase of a text-book in any of such subjects, which has been so disapproved, shall be void. Any school officer or teacher who permits a text-book in any of such subjects, which has been so disapproved, to be used in the public schools of the state, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor." (See L. 1918, ch. 246.)

ARBOR DAY

[Article 29]

History.- Arbor Day in New York was created by chapter 196 of the Laws of 1888 and has been observed annually by the public schools of the State from that date. Since the establishment of this day the school children have planted on the school grounds of the State about 200,000 trees and many plants and shrubs.

Arbor Day originated in Nebraska in 1872, and is now observed by every State in the Union.

State Tree. In 1899 the vote of the school children of the State for a State tree resulted in the sugar maple's receiving a majority of all votes cast. Since that time the sugar maple has been considered the State tree.

State Flower. In 1890 State Superintendent Draper requested the school children of the State to vote on Arbor Day for a State flower. One hundred and thirty different varieties received votes, and 318,079 votes were cast. The golden-rod received the greatest number of votes cast, 81,308, while the rose received 79,666 votes. As no flower received a majority of the votes cast, and as the vote for the golden-rod and the rose was so evenly divided, Superintendent Draper requested that a vote be taken on these two flowers on Arbor Day in 1891. This vote was taken, with the result that the rose received 294,816 votes and the golden-rod 206,402. The rose is therefore considered our State flower. New York was the first State in the Union to take action toward the establishment of a State flower.

Best American Nature Poem.- On Arbor Day of 1891 the teachers of the State, in response to a request of the State Supertendent that they express their choice by vote for the best American poem on nature or trees, selected Bryant's Forest Hymn by a majority of 156 votes. Bryant's Thanatopsis was second choice.

Date.-- Arbor Day occurred for many years on the Friday following the first day of May. In 1916 the law was amended by providing that the date of Arbor Day should be fixed by proclamation of the Commissioner of Education.