The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-26
Minimum Length of School Terms Omitted
DEPARTMENT IS SURPRISED
Vitally Affects Schools of the
 State.
Under the Code old Law is Repealed and School Terms May Be Only Four Weeks Long--0ld Minimum Was Five
 Months.

If the contingent fund of the De- partment of Education had been a It, tie fatter State Superintendent of Ed ucation Harry c. Gunnels might have been induced yesterday to insert the following in the leading dailies of Ala bama:
 "Lost-An act to fix the minimum length of term of the free public schools of the State of Alabama. Finder will kindly return to the Department of Education"
 The public schools of Alabama have been living urider such a law for so long a time that they have learned to love 1t more or less. But the men be- hind the new Code did not feel that way about 1t. For some reason they omitted the act from the new Code which went into effect May I.
 At least the clerical force of the Ed ucatfonal Department at the closing hour yesterday afternoon reported that the law was still missing" They have searched the Code from begin ming to end, all three volumes. the po- liticaI, the civil and the criminal sec- tions, but all in vain. The old act seems to have died at the hands of the Codincation Committee.
 An act approved March 5. 1901, fixed the minimum term at which public school participating in the general ed- ucation fund of the State should be absolutely free of tuition at five years. It was provided that no schools should be open for a less period and no con- tracts with teachers for a less period should be made. The law has been faithfully observed since its enactment. The Department of Education was about to observe 1t again yesterday but in order to be sure of their ground began a search of the Code for the act.
 But look as they might Superintend- ent Gunnels, Chief Clerk Feagin, or any of their associates. none could find the law in the new Code. The result is that. unless the act is in some place of the Code yet undiscovered. schools may arrange for a four weeks term or less and the contracts of teachers for a corresponding length of term may be made. To this the State Superlntend- ent of Education may interpose no ob- jection in spite of his possible desire to the contrary.
 The law which has seemingly been omitted by the Codincation Committee is as follows:
 Section 1. Be 1t enacted by the Gen eral Assembly of Alabama. That the free public schools of the State shall he kept open free of tuition fee to those entitled to share in the distribu- ton of the common school fund. for a period of at least five scholastic months In each scholastic year.
 Sec. 3. Be it further enacted. That 1t shall be unlawful for any township or district trustee to make or any county superintendent of education to approve a contract for a less period than five months. provided that con- tracts for unexpired terms may be made for a less period; provided. that where 1t is found absolutely imprac- ticable to make the term five months trustees may. with the consent of the county superintendent and the approv- al of the State Superintendent of Ed ucation, make the term for not less than four scholastic months
 Sec. Be it further enacted. That the object of this act is u set the min- lrnMm length of the term for which a contract to teach the free public schools of the State can be made. and 1t shall be the duty of trustees and country superintendents to make the lerms longer whenever and wherever H is possible.