St. Paul tidende. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1902-1928, 1912-09-06

| ular or optional course of study. In-
| struction may also be given in such
languages in common schools, not to
exceed one hour in each day, by
unanimous vote of the trustees
This law is just, comprehensive, clear,
and meets American conditions; why
is it not more generally in force?
WISCONSIN law, page 1863, section
AT of the Wisconsin Statutes. reads:
Cali instruction shall be in the Eng
lish language. except that the district
board or board of education may, in
their discretion, cause any foreign
language to be taught by a competent
teacher to such pupils as desire it, not
to exceed n hour each day. District
boards, town boards Of school direc-
tors and boards of education may
provide for kindergarten, for instruc-
ton and training of primary grades
in separate departments or otherwise"
| The Wisconsin law. it will be OBJ
served. resembles that of Minnesota
in allowing II hour each day to be
devoted to teaching modern languages
in the graded and country schools.
NORTH DAKOTA Revised Codes.
Section S26, reads: "Subject to the
approval of the county suerintendent,
it (the school board) shall have power
to determine what branches, if any,
in addition to those required by law
shall be taught in any school Of the
district" Ordinances Of the NORTH
WEST TERRITORIES OF CANADA,
1905, Chap. IS. Section 1876 () reads:
'The board of any district may, sub
ject to the regulations Of the depart
ment, employ or more competent
persons to give instructions in any
language other than English in the
school of the district to all pupils
whose parents or guardians have
signified a willingness that they
should receive the same, but such
course of instruction shall not super
cede or in any way interfere with the
instruction by the teacher in charge
of the school as required by the regu-
lations of the department and this
ordinance"
An act of the legislature of CALL
FORNIA. approved March IS, 1909,
provides that "the board Of educa-
ton in every city Of the first class
shall establish and maintain in each
of said cities of the first class at least
one public school in which shall be
taught the French. Italian, and Ger
mar languages in conjunction with
studies in the English language.
Such schools shall be designated as
Cosmopolitan Schools" See report
of the Commission Of Education. 1909,
Vol. 1, page 1874.
LEARN YOUR STATE LAW.
The statement for some purpose has
been circulated. claiming to come
from high authority, that :three~
fourths of the states require by law
that all instruction in the common
grades be given in the English Ian
guage in order to provide a common
means of communication for the peo-
pie Of this country"
l have not examined the laws OF
all the states. especially of the South
ern States. where the Negro element
is strong and the foreign element is
weak. and naturally little demand
exists for a second or mother-tongue
language instruction. But I have
carefully examined the laws, and Ian
guage work in the grades, of the
Northern states and am surprised to
find how modern languages are grow
ing in the grades. Nowhere have I
found a law forbidding the teaching
of a modern language. Hence the
| statement is misleading if it means
! the language to be used in imparting
instruction must be English; but then
it should read ~four-fourths and not
| three-fourths. There is much talk
and writing on this subject that is
very confusing and misleading. Hence
the need Of repeating the clear words
of the law at least once a year in
English.
I find that modern languages are
now being taught according to law in
the graded schools Of Pennsylvania,
Illinois. Wisconsin, Minnesota, South
Dakota. North Dakota, Colorado. Cali
fornia. Kentucky, and doubtless IL
many other states, Porto Rico and the
PHILIPPINES. Spanish is taught in the
college of Montana and the Hisl
Schools Of Spokane. Washington, but
not Scandinavian. Northern languages
should have first place in northern
countries.
! All wishing to have their home
language taught: in the high or graded
schools should fill out a blank like
the follow and send it to the principal
BLANK FOR PARENTS TO FILL
Atm