The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-11
INDIANA EDUCATIONAL BILL
The Non-State College View of the
LegisIation Needed.
Hanover College Journal.

Hanover College Journal.
The immediate occasion OF the recent
struggle over education before the Indiana
Legislature the Introduction of the
"Geeting bill. This bill takes its name
from the present superintendent of public
instruction, who has been its main author,
and most conspicuous advocate. The State
Teachers Association approved of some
general principles which the pill is said to
incorporate; but it stands it probably
could not command the support of the ma
jority of the teachers in the public schools.
TO many of the features of the ''Geetng'
bill the nonstate college men have made no
opposition. But by certain provisions it
greatly increased the advantage. already
unfairly given by law TO some of the State
institutions, and enlarged the powers of the
State Board of Education. so that consti-
tuted that board is, the nonstate col
lege would be at the mercy of the State in
situations TO very vital interests.
For instance. as the law at present stands,
life license is given to a graduate of the
State Normal School after two years of sat
isfactory teaching; whereas no other teach
er, though college graduate, and of
equally satisfactory experience in teaching,
can get life license. except by examina-
ton. The Geeting bill proposed to enact
further, that: No person shall be eligible
10 or snail hold the office of county super
intendent unless he hold at the time OF his
election life or professional license to
teach in the public schools of this State
or special certificate Ito be valid for a
period OF four years ii not revoked by said
Doard), TO be called a county superintend-
ent's certificate issued by the State Board
of Education, or has served one full term
as county superintendent in some county of
TINS state Immediately preceding his cleo
ton; but on the first Monday of June 1901
no one shall be eligible to the office of coun-
ty superintendent unless he hold d coun-
ty superintendent certificate at the time
OF his election The State Board shall have
the power to adopt rules and regulations
for the examination of applicants tor coun-
ty superintendent certificates. prescribe in
what branches they shall be examined and
what qualifications they shall possess to
entitle them to receive such certificates.
The provision of this section as to life Ii
cense, favored as the State Normal already
Is by the law, gave that institution still
competing institutions; and the powers
proposed TO be conferred on the State
Board placed the county superintendent
absolutely under that boards control. For
in addition TO the enormous power over
them, conferred by the section quoted
above, another section made extensive pro-
vision Cor the arraignment of "a Superin-
tendent before the State Board for ''incom-
potency general neglect of duty" among
other causes enumerated.
Still another section provided that in the
Teachers Institutes mo one shall be en-
ployed to instruct those attending such in
sttutes unless ne has a certificate of quail
fication issued to him by the state Board
of Education" This might be bad enough
for the nonstate men, even If the Qualifi-
cations which the State Board would be
bound to recognize were deIned; but no
such definition is made.
These are fair samples of some of the OBJ
jectionable features of the bill and of its
general spirit. other bills were like unto it.
Their introduction into the Legislature
brought together the presidents OF the non
state colleges, and representative members
of their boards of trustees, for conference;
and they very early united most harmoni-
ously in demanding two things as TO
further educational legislation, both OIL
which this journal has in previous issues
advocated. One is either the elimination of
the ife-license privilege from the laws con-
of in on some equitable basis also to gradu-
ates OF the colleges. The other is the recon-
struction of the State Board of Education,
SO as to omit the presidents of the univer-
sity the Normal and Purdue; and in their
room the substitution of three others not
connected with any of the higher institu-
tions. Apart from the 'Geeting'' BILL the
powers conferred on that board are TOO
great to be given to men who are inter
| ested i'm the competition with the nonState
colleges The following is the sweeping
clause which in the existing laws, confers
| on that board its powers SAID board snail
| take cognizance of such questions as may
| arise in the practical admins tration OF the
| school system not otherwise provided for
| and duly consider. discuss ana oeterInlhe
AT least some of the board are anxious TO
| grasp beyond what they already nave The
| nonstate men are unanimous In their con-
| Viction that the Board of Education in its
| spirit and 10 a considerable extent In spe-
| cifc act. conducts it's affairs so as TO dis
| criminals in favor of the State institutions
| and against the nonstate colleges. In fact,
| the membership of the three presidents in
/ that board of itself makes this inevitable:
| They could scarcely prevent IT, even III
| they so desired.
| BY various acts, powers in some cases or
| such enormous sweep as the whole control
| of the schoOl-bOok system, ana IN Otners,
| wholly foreign to the work of the Board OF
| Education, such as the election or state IL
brarian. are conferred upon this body. "A
| careful scrutiny of the statutes of the
| states show that it is to its powers un-
| paralleled and unapproached. The nonstate
| men sought above all else 10 nave Ine e eiSo
| two leading wrongs of which they COM
plain. But they have labored under great
| difficulties. The repeal of law already in the
| statutes can easily be defeated even by a
| minority in the Legislature. In this Leg1S-
lature also the Senate's committee on edu-
who resides at Bloomington, and several
| other members just as closely Identified
| with the State institutions. While that CON-
mittee went through the form of hearing
| for the nonstate men. the chairman fire.
quently betrayed his animus. No doubt, the
majority of that committee would have
gladly favored the "Geeting" bill: yet, see
ing the impossibility of it's passage they,
by simply not pushing any bill, retained for
1
| institution all that the laws already confer
| on them. The outcome was the early death
| of the "Geeting' bill. This is a victory for
| the nonstate men, in so far as it prevents
| the increased advantages which the pro-
| posed legislation would have given to the
| State institutions. But it leaves the exist
ing laws as they were before. In a more
| general way. much, however, has been ac-
complished by the nonstate men. For the
first time in its history the powerful COM
bination with which they have to contend
has been defeated. This breaks its prestige
of uniform success. The nonstate men also
have learned their own power. and, to some
extent, how to handle il for their good and
that of the people Public sentiment, too
has been much awakened. and ii seems tc
be overwhelmingly on the side of the non.
state contention.
If IL were practicable. there should be
provision made for good commission. &c
go over the entire educational legislation OF
the State. AS il stands. this legislation GOV.
ers more than one hundred pages of Burns:
Annotated Statutes. revision of 1884. There
should be much elimination and condensa
ton. Fairness should be maintained, so that
all good educational work may have egua
encouragement II new legislation 4.
needed, such a commission could propose
IL in the best shape.
But in any case. the nonstate men must
continue to agitate until their just demand: