Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-05-13
1EMA1KS OF
HON. HENRY J. B0EHMER,
nE pUTNA N NnU1NTV

On House Bill No. 81 a. supplementary to the
act entitled an act 10 prOUtde for the reOr-
ganization, supervision and nsaintainance of
Common Schools" passed March IA. 1858,
authorizing School Examiners to issue Ger
man certificates for German teachers.
Mr.. SPEAKER Before this bill is put
upon its final passage, l desire to explain
the object of the bill, and give the reasons
why it should pass. The law above refer
red to. allows boards of education to pro-
vide for German schools for the instruction
of such youths as may desire to study the
German language, or the German and Eng
lish together. Under this law, our English
and German schools were held and con-
Quoted to the entire satisfaction of che peo-
pie, until, in 1865, the commissioner of
common schools, Mr.. E. E. White, publish
ed his opinions and instructions for the use
and government of school officers, saying ::
A German school, like colored school, is
for class of pupils, and cannot, therefore,
take the place OF the subdistrict school !;
further, the law makes no provision for
German certificates, and, consequently, no
person that is not qualified to teach Eng
lish grammar" can be legally employed
even in a German school.
Under these instructions, the best Ger
man teacher, educated in the best normal
school in Germany, even as well acquaint-
ed with the rules OF English grammer as
the most of English teachers, but lacking
in the proper pronunciation Of the English
language, would not be entitled to the re-
Quired English certificate, and could not
be legally employed in German school.
i am satisfied, and it S the opinion of dis
tinguished lawyers whom have consulted
on the subject, that the school commits
sioner erred in his instructions, as each
law, if not otherwise provided for, by i'm
plicatiOn, includes the means necessary for
it's enforcement, but the boards of educa-
tion generally pay more attention, and re-
gard such instructions as important and
binding as the law itself, and the result of
it is, that complaints have been made, and
already suits have grown out of it. In or
der to avoid these difficulties, efforts have
been made by German teachers, who had
considerable knowledge of the English
language, to procure the required certifi-
Gates, and tried to teach both languages,
but failed in their efforts for want of a prop
er pronunciation of the English language.
and experience proves that only competent
teachers should be employed to teach either
the English or German language.
In schools where that is done, it is fire.
quently observed that scholars are fully as
efficient in all the common branches, in
Guiding English grammar, as in schools
where only the English language is used
and taught. Now, if the instructions of
the school commissioner must be complied
with, il no person is permitted to teach a
German school, except he is also qualified
to teach E0gllSn grammar, Cner6 VIII De
great want of German teachers, and those
<who are qualified will demand salaries
which most sub-districts are unable to
raise, and the result will be, that our Ger
man school will not only suffer, but in a
short time will be ruined.
Gentlemen, is there member in the
House who desires and wishes this? Would
it not be worse than a crime, to close the
German literature, second to none OF the
civilized nations, to almost one-third of our
population, more or less acquainted with
the German language? Is there business
man in the State, who is not aware of the
usefulness of that language? And what is
more than all this. German parents unac-
auainted with the English language would
thereby loose and be deprived of their
moral influence in raising and educating
their own children.
In order to prevent these evils haYe in
troduced this bill. Not the least change in
the school law is Intended or asked for.
The only object is to relieve our school
examiners from the embarrassmenta and diff
fculties they get into by the instruc-
tions of the late school commissioner,
and allow them to issue German GER
tificates to qualified German teach
ers, and thereby enable such teachers. en-
ployed to teach German school, TO draw
their pay like English teachers out OF the
public school funds.
There cannot be reasonable objections to
this, and hope therefore that the Dill will
pass by unanimous vote OF the house.