Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-06-23
THE COLORED PEOPLE AND THE SCHOOL
LAW OF OHIO.

The State Commissioner for common schools,
gives in his annual Report & synopsis of the
rights and privileges of colorcd youth under
the present school law of the State. By reference
to the tables of the report. it will be seen that the
number of colored youth, in attendance upon
schools the last year is much less than those of
the whites in comparison with their respective
whole numbers. This difference is doubtless in
great measure to be accounted for by the disabili-
ties under which our school law places them. A
law making an unjust and odious discrimination
and which in certain cases, utterly precludes to
colored youths the benefits of the public schools.
Even in the district in which we reside, there was
a determined effort made last winter to expel from
the school, a family of colored children. 1t was
unsuccessful because the anti -slavery sentiment of
the neighborhood was strongest. In hundreds of
other districts, the decision would have been differ.
ent, and the children expelled from the school ac-
cording to the provisions of the law. And doubt
less many children in the State are thus deprived
of the benefits of education. The law should be
repealed. 1t should be done next winter. Ohio,
should follow the lead of Massachusetts, on this
question. We give Mr.. Barney's synopsis of the
law. After reading it we think our readers will
agiee with us that it should cease to be q law of
Ohio, and set about the proper efforts for its repeal.
There has been occasional injury as to the prop
er construction of the provisions in favor of colored
youth. The law requires the directors in each
sub-district to enumerate separately the colored
youth, in order that the amount of school funds
applicable to the payment of teachers, and appor-
toned to any township on account of the colored
youth resident therein, may be expended for their
instruction., and for no other purpose.
There Is some ambiguity, it is true, in the Ian
guage employed in sec. 81, owing, it is believed,
TO faulty punctuation. But from all the provisions
contained in the law relative to colored youth,
and from the statements of those who aided in
drawing up those provisions, the following may be
regarded as the fair and legitimate construction:
l. The proper boards Of education are required
to establish, within their respective Jurisdictions,
one or more seperate schools for colored children,
when the whole number enumerated exceeds
thirty, and to continue said schools in operation
until the moneys apportioned ON accounted said
colored youth shall be exhausted, or until the
average number in attendance shall be less than
fifteen for any one month. In the latter case it is
made the duty of the board of education, or other
school officers, to discontinue said school or schools
for a period not exceeding six months at any one
time.
z. When the whole number by enumeration Is
less than thirty and more than fifteen, it IS the
duty of the board tie provide a school for colored
Children, whenever the funds applicable to that
purpose shall be sufficient to keep the school in
operation a reasonable length of time.
3. If the number Of colored children shall be
less than fifteen, the directors shall reserve the
money raised on the number of seid colored chill
dren, and the money SO reserved shall be appro-
priated for the education of such colored children,
under the direction of the township board.
A. The money so reserved for the education of
colored children, may be used TO procure for them
private instruction or, the teacher of the sub-dis-
trict school may be employed to instruct them in
an evening school, or at such other times as may
be deemed expedient; or they may be instructed
during the vacation of the school for white youth;
or they may De admitted to the common school of
the sub-district, if no objections are raised against
such an arrangement.