Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-03-11
COVE RN0R' s BILL
ON EDUCATION IS
GIVEN RE VISION
Measure Providing for Com
puIsory Study of Spanish in
High Schools and Colleges
Is Modified by Committee,

Santa Fe. March 10.-One of the
governors pet measures, introduced in
the house at his request by A, A. Sc
dillo and r.. p. Barnes, has undergone
considerable revision at the hands of
the committee on education. The bill
is No. 155 and was entitled" an act
TO provide for the teaching of the
Spanish language IN certain public
schools of the state"
Section ! of the bill provided that
"all children attending the high
schools and all students
enroNed in the University
of New Mexico, the College of Agricul-
ture and Mechanic Arts, the School of
Mines. the Military institute. the
Normal University, the Normal
school and the Spanish American
school, shall be required by the govern
ing authorities to pursue course in
the reading, writing, spelling and
speaking of the Spanish language
during each and every year they are
students thereof provided that no
such child or student snail be re-
CURED to pursue such course for
more than four years"
1t is understood the proposal to
make the study Of Spanish mandatory
raised such strong objections, even
among the leading Spanish-American
educators, that this clause had to be
eliminated, making the study of
Spanish optional on the part of the
pupil 1t is also said that some of
the text books prescribed for use were
entirely out of date, or at least were
untitled for use here. as they were
such as are being used in South
American countries, consequently no
particular books have been pre-
scribed in the amendment.
Section of the bill as originally
drawn, read as follows:
Before employing any person as
a teacher of the Spanish language in
any of the above named institutions
(high schools and higher state insti-
tutions of learning) such person shall
be required to present to the state
board of education a certificate or di-
ploma from some authorized educa-
tional institution, showing that such
person understands and knows the
Spanish language with sufficient
correctness and proficiency to entitle
him to teach said language IN any
school or high institution of learning;
in default of such a certificate. the
person sought to be employed as such
teacher shall be required TO pass an.
examination touching his knowledge
of the Spanish language before the
state board of education, provided
there be, members in said board who
are qualified and competent to Judge
Of the knowledge of such person to be
employed as teacher of Spanish: but
If no such person or persons exist in
the state board of education. then the
board shall specially commission one
or two persons who are proficient in
the Spanish language to conduct such
an examination; and upon such ex-
animation being had, If the applicant
be found to be qualified, the said
board, or the persons commissioned
by them, shall issue to the. applicant a
certificate that he IS competent to
teach the Spanish language; and un-
less said certificate is presented to
or is insued by the board or the ex-
aminers. commissioned by the board,
the said person shall not be commits
stoned or appointed as teacher of the