The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1908-07-11
he Way It. Was Done.

NNSSASA-
and the question of extending the
course at the Western State Normal
at Hays was brought up, it was sub
mitted by the board to their secretary,
L. B. Kellogg, to find out whether or
not such step could be legally made.
Mr.. Kellogg was not able TO decide the
matter so he referred it directly to
Fred Jackson, attorney general of Kan
sas. The following letter from him
was the official decision on which the
Board of Regents of the State Normal
School extended the course to a four
years course with life diploma.
July 3, 1908.
L. B. Kellogg, Esq.
Sec'y. Board of Regents,
Emporia, Kansas.
Dear Sir:-In your letter of June 30th
you submit the following: Can the
Board of Regents under the present
laws issue to the graduates of the aux
iliary normal schools at Hays and Pitts
burg diplomas which will be life GER
ti6cate to teach in the public schools of
the state upon completion by such
graduates of four years course of
study in the State Normal School at
Emporia for which life certificates are
issued by that institution"
THE question involves an examination
of certain Statutes; Section 7443 Of the
Generrl Statutes of 1905 provides for
two years course of study at the Ft.
Hays branch Of the state normal school
This section is part of the Law of
1901, and the purpose of that Act was
to confine the work of the Ft Hays
Normal School to mere preparation for
the State Normal School at Emporia.
Section 1913, Id, being part of the law
of 1908 establishing auxiliary manual
training school at Pittsburg provided
| that the course in that institution
should not extend over two years.
Until the passage of Chapter. 388 of
the Session Laws of 1905, it is clear
that only a two years course could be
maintained either at the Ft. Hays Nor
NAL or at the Pittsburg Manual Train
ing School, and until the passage of
said act of 1905 the only power of the
State Normal School to confer diplomas
was Section 7472, General Statutes of
1905.
The last act, however, supersedes the
law limiting the course of study in the
Ft. Hays and Pittsburg schools, and
supersedes Section 7472. 1t is perhaps
needless to say whether the law of 1905
so completely covers the subject matter
of these earlier acts as to repeal them
in toto. The law of 1905 authorizes the
Board of Regents of the State Normal
School to fix courses of study for
the State Normal School ana it's aux
iliaries, the Ft. Hays and Pittsburg
schools, and to extend the courses al
ready in existence; and establishes nor
NAL courses of not less than three years
in the schools at Ft. Hays and at Pitts
burg, and provides that in so doing the
Regents shall not be limited by any of
the restrictions heretofore made as to
subjects or length of courses in either
of said schools. The Law of 1905 fur
ther provides that the Board of Regents
may issue one year certificates to teach
school on the completion of the first
two years course at any of these
schools, Emporia, Ft. Hays or Pitts
burg, diploma may be issued which
shall be valid as a certificate to teach
in the public schools for three years,
and if used successfully in public school
teaching for two years out of the three,
shall be merged into life certificate
by the State Board of Education, under
Section 6742, Id.
The second section of the Act of 1905
also empowers the Board of Regents to
confer such degrees as it may deem
proper.
In view of the foregoing, it is clear
that the Board of Regents under the
present laws may issue to graduates of
the Ft. Hays and Pittsburg schools di
plomas which will in time merge into
life certificates to teach in the public
schools of the state, pursuant TO the
same regulations by which diplomas be
come life certificates for gra duates of
the parent school at Emporia And IL
Is not necessary, under the present ex-
listing laws, for a student to attain to
such diploma to be matriculated at
Emporia at all. His whole scholastic
course may be completed either at F'r
Hays or at Pittsburg. The important
matter Being that the student complete
the work, and it IS immaterial whether
his work be done at the parent school
oe Emporia, or at either of its auxiliar-
les.
So far as this opinion pertains to the
Pittsburg Manual Training School, it is
written without an examination of the
possible question of its being an aux
iIiary state normal school for the rea-
son that your question assumes it to be
such. That the Ft. Hays School is an
ir,frer,nl r,or+ nf +Ino C4o 70 Alo-r,nnI H.,