The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1917-03-23
A SCHOOL VICTORY.

| ~ Will NC cACcCuiI6ly 6Idtlly lH6 "
the friends of public education to
know that the new so-called DUNLAP
school bill is introduced with the full
approval OF the existing system and
bears no sort of resemblance to the
original act that bore the same name
About the only similarity between the
new bill and that over which such q
warm contest ragged is the name.
Under the new bill, which will be
passed, the integrity of the general
education law, whereby one-third OF
the gross revenues of the state are
set aside as sacred school fund, is
preserved inviolate That was the
real crux Of the whole fight. Mr. Dun
laps proposed budget plan would have
ienied the educational interests their
pro rata of the normal increase of the
states revenues. In the proposed new
act this fundamental principle of the
general education law is untouched.
| The only changes made are touch
ing the distribution of some of the
funds. For example, the equalization
fund, which will be fourteen. per cent
Of the total, is distributed upon a
slightly new basis and the high
schools will be given nine, instead OF
eight per cent. of the whole educa
tional fund, the increase in both this
and the equalization elementary fund
being made possible by the enactment
Of the University of Tennessee bill
which relieved the general education
fund Of any claim of that institution
upon it.
Another change provides that grad
yates of standard four-year high
schools may teach for one year, in the
public schools without examination
and may have their certificates re-
newed by attending a normal school.
It is also provided that after Sept. ]
II next year persons who enter the
state normals must have done at
least one years high school work.
These changes are in line with the
best thought Of the champions of pub.
lie education and are in accordance
with the insistence of The Herald that
the necessary amendments to the gen
eral education law should be made by
the friends and not by the enemies of
that wise and beneficient legislation.
The schools Of the state will continue
to get one-third of all the states reve-
nues, the splendid equalizing and dis
tribution features of the law have SIM
ply been improved by such changes as
time and experience have proven
necessary and Tennessee will continue
to have one of the greatest educational
enactments of any state in the union.
The advocates of budget system
under which the boys and girls Of the
state would be denied their just and
rightful participation in the increased
revenues of the state, have gained |
They have completely capt.. |
ulated and this legislature will go into
history, whatever its other shortcom-
ings may be, as the devoted friend OF |
popular education. The budget plan |
had powerful support. Mr.. Dunlap |
and his followers made an earnest |
and aggressive fight for it. They |
caused the advocates of the general |
law to do some very earnest |
work and lose good deal of time and |
sleep, but the victory has been more
than worth the cost The Herald, as
the first paper in the state, to de
nounce the effort to tamper with and
destroy the integrity of the general
education law, is naturally very much
yratified at the result II is especially
pleased that its friends, Mr.. Dunlap
md the educators, for all whom II
sntertains the warmest feeling of
friendship, have so graciously buried
he Ratchet"