Daily globe., 1883-06-16
GERMAN TN THE SCHOOLS.
IN ANIM4TED DISCUSSION IN THE,
BOIRD OF EDUCATION.
inspector Donnelly's Resolution for the
Adjustment of the Study Raises "A Rum
pus-A Substitute by Inspector Officer
The EXpediency of the Study Discussed at
Length Pro and Con.

der the resolution introduced by Inspector
Donnelly at the last meeting looking to
the discontinuance of the teaching of Ger
man in the city schools. There was present
the full board, viz: Inspectors Murphy,
Wilgus, Kerker, Officer, Benz, Athey, Gill
bert, Hamilton, Schiffman, Berlandi, DON
nelly and President Oppenheim, and some
fifteen or twenty citizens, mostly Germans
interested in the discussion.
The roll called, Secretary Donnelly, at
the request of President Oppenheim, read
his resolution, which done, Inspector Off
Ger offered the following as a substitute for
Mr.. Donnelly's resolution. and moved their
adoption:
ReSOIced, That the committee on high
school and the committee on German be
authorized to negotiate for the employ
ment of competent professor and in
structor of the German language in the
high school; such instruction to be option
al with the pupils in the High School, and
to be taught III all the grades of that
school.
ReSolced, That the committee on Ger
man be, and they are hereby instructed to
make no nominations or appointments of
teachers of the German language for the
other grades or classes of the public
schools.
ResOlred, That it is the sense of this
Board that all instruction in the public
school) except in the high school) of this
city, shall be in the English language; ex-
cept that teachers who are able to speak
any other language that's the vernacular
of any pupil, may use that language to aid
IN teaching the meaning of English
Words
Inspector DonneIly seconded the motion
to adopt the substitute.
Inspector Benz hoped the motion would
not be passed. The proposition was not
just to the very large German population
of the city, who paid fully one third of the
total taxation of the city. When the mat
ter was up year ago he had presented
his views at considerable length, supported
by statistics and the views of many of
the most eminent teachers and
superintendents in the country, in
support of the teaching of German in our
public schools, and more especially in COM
munities like st. Paul, but as the board, as
now composed, contained only one new
member, he did not suppose it would be
necessary to go over the whole ground
again. He did think, however. that the
| =
and give all who desire a chance to be
heard.
Inspector Officer-Do 1 understand that
Inspet tor BenzIwishes t. postpone this dis
| cussion?
Inspector Benz-Not the discussion, but
final action. Certain German citizens
who are not prepared tonight. desire to
| be heard before vote is taken.
| TnSneltOr Offipar than 6IOCr
his resolutions as above, read an argu-
ment of some length in their sup
port in which he spoke of the
purity of the German language, and the
many valuable ideas that America had re-
ceived from the school system of that
country. He then pointed out that the
German was the only language, other than
| the English, taught in our schools, except
| in the high school alone. The teaching of
German was commenced as an experiment
twenty years back when the Bald
| win school was discontinued in which
that study was part of the
curriculum. 1t was now taught
in four grades of the public schools, COW
ering term of four years, Statistics as
furnished in the report of Prof. Kiehle,
showed that very small percentage of the
children of German parentage even availed
themselves of the opportunities offered for
acquiring the language, and of this small
percentage large majority confined them
selves to the rudiments, the percentage
growing smaller and smaller as they ad-
vanced IN their general studies and became
more familiar with the English language.
Further on in his argument, Inspector
Officer took the position that the laws of
the state absolutely forbid the teaching of
any foreign language in the public schools,
except upon unanimous vote of the trus-
tees, or board of education, in support of
which he read extracts from the statutes.
and also an opinion of Hon. Gordon
E. Cole, when attorney general. He
also canod attention to the fact that if the
teaching of German was admissible in
schools supported by general taxation,
other nationalities had Just right to de-
mand that their native tongue should be
taught, and that the principle carried to
its legitimate conclusion would newt
ably result in the general Generalization
of our whole public school system. The
public school system was intended to
familiarize the young of the
land at the general expense with the
primary roots of the English language,
reading, spelling and writing and such
otner studies as are required tor the trans
action of ordinary pursuits, together with
a knowledge of our form of government,
and in his judgment the only thing for
the board to consider in the decision of
this question, was as to how this could be
done under the laws, without reference to
policy, or what had been done in the past
In pector Benz in view of the carefully
prepared arguments of Mr.. Officer, in
which he had raised several important
legal questions, new to him and he pre-
sumed to more of the members of the
board, moved that further consideration
of the subject be postponed to another
meeting.
Inspector Berlandi seconded the motion
but at the suggestion of Inspector Muir
ply the motion was temporarily with
drawn.
Inspector Gilbert then stated he had
been visited by number of German citi-
zens with request to be heard in the
matter, and in Difference to their requests
he should favor postponing final action to
another meeting.
Inspector Officer said he wanted this mat |
ter fully discussed both in and out of the
board, and would therefore favor post
h,,H