have important rights and
duties. It is the right, one of the highest rights, of every child to
attend the full session of the public school. Whoever prevents him
from exercising this right commits an offense against the child and
against the State. The State taxes its citizens to maintain a system
of schools for the benefit of every child, and so every child has a
right to all the State has provided for him.

DUTIES.--As it is the right, it is also the duty of all children to
attend the full session of the public school, or of some other equally
good. They should be regular and punctual in their attendance; they
should yield prompt and cheerful obedience to the school government,
and try to avail themselves of all advantages that the school can give.
As it is the duty of the State to offer a plain English education to
every child, so it is the duty of all children to make the most of all
means the State has provided for their education.

PARENTS, THEIR RIGHTS AND DUTIES.--All parents have the right to send
their children to the public school, and it is also their duty to
patronize the public school, or some other equally as good. Fathers
and mothers who deprive their children of the opportunities of
acquiring an education do them lasting injury. Parents should use
every effort to give their children at least the best education that
can be obtained in the public schools.

GOVERNMENT.

The school has rules to govern it, that the pupil may be guided,
directed, and protected in the pursuit of knowledge. Schools can not
work without order, and there can be no order without government. The
members of the school desire that good order be maintained, for they
know their success depends upon it; so that school, government, like
all other good government, exists by the consent and for the good of
the governed.

OFFICERS.--The school, like all other governments, has its officers.
These are the school board, or trustees, and the teacher. They are
responsible for the government and good conduct of the school. There
are, in most governments, three kinds of officers, corresponding to the
three departments of government--the legislative, the judicial, and the
executive. The legislative department of the government makes the
laws, the judicial department explains them, and the executive
department executes them. School officers are mostly executive; that
is, their chief duties are to enforce the laws made by the