The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-05-17

US. Flag Displayed in 100 Schools.
LINCOLN, Neb, May 1.-THE sig7I
nature of Gov. McKelvie to the Simanl
bill forbidding the teaching of foreign
languages in the grade schools of
Nebraska completed the Americans,
cation program mapped out and adopt
ed by the legislature which has just adj
journed.
After repeated hearings in which repl
resentatives of all nationalties and
denominations were allowed to present
their objections and submit their sug-i
gentions, the joint committee on educa-
tion recommended egislation-afterl
ward adopted with but few dissenting
votes-that is aimed to strike at the
root of the evils found when the nation
was at wa" and which menaeed the
armies from the rear by reason Of
a hostile sentiment at home against the
United States drawing its sword upon
| Germany. This is TO make all schools
in the state American.
The situation developed during the,
summer of 1917, so far as the schools
We're concerned, was about as follows:
Foreign language schools were located
in fifty nine of the pinety-three eoun-
ties These numbered 262, taught by
$40 teachers, only per cent of whom
were certifcated by the. state or county
superintendent as qualified. Very few
of these schools gave the equivalent of
L bn aiUb+b ,,pllin school rra1a For bo
most part the graduates fitted into the
sixth grade of the public schools. A
total of 10000 children attended these
schools About 100 of the teachers
were German Lutheran ministers. who
taught their UNCONVENTIONAL schools.
Most of these schools were German
taught, and were located in the H'little
Germanys" that had been formed
through earlier colonization, where Ger
man only was spoken at home and in
church, where only Germah-laagaage
papers circulated, and where all public
meetings were held in German.
In 300 of these schools three hours
daily was given in German; in a few
the instruction was entirely in the Ger
man language. In approximately 100
| the American national hymn was not
4
| German parochial schools had forced
/ out and closed the public schools in ff
L teen districts; in others the public
schools were taught by German Catho
II lie teachers In a few the public schoo
II supported by the state, was removed
Il from the district building and located
/ in church property, where priests an,
II sisters taught, instruction being large
III lyr in In of
II ties the public school had been reduced
N to four or five pupils by reason of tn
N competition of the German parochialS
II Dozens of the German preachers an
Ii priests officiating as teachers in thes
il schools had either not taken out paper
II or had not completed naturalization.
II The new laws enacted reach each o
| these weak spots One provides that n
II person shall be qualified, licensed q
II permitted to teach. in any public, pr
II vate or parochial school unless na
II tive born or duly and fully naturalize
II citizen of the United States. Anothe
II provides that any teacher in any pull
II lie school in the state who shall wea
II while engaged upon duty, any dress {
H garb indicating the fact that he or 81
II is member or adherent of any rel
II gious order, sect or denomination, sha
II be punished and suspended for a yeal
II second offense bars the teacher pc
y manently. School boards are require
- to enforce this provision or suffer fir
or Imprisonment and loss of office II
4 most drastic and far-reaching lax
4 however, is that known as the Burne
Y bill.
\ The law provides that all private, d
1 nominational and parochial suchools
4 The state and all teachers employed
\ giving instructions therein shall be su
4 jcct to and governed by the provision
\ Of the general school laws of the sta
so far as these apply to grades, qua
fcRtion and certifcation of teaehe
and promotion of pupils. They are I
CURED to have adequate equipments al
supplies and must be graded the san
end shall have substantially the sar
courses of study as in the public schoo
where the chfldreni would attend in t
absence of such private, denomination
or parochial schools. 7nsad sat
No person shall be permitted to tea
in these schools after Sept II 1919, w
has not obtained a certificate entitli1
4 him or her TO teach correspond
A courses 'or classes in public schools
the same district It Is expressly pi
1 vided, however, tIrat nothing in the "a
shall be so construed as to 'interfe
with religious instruction in any
these se1I6oIs;- but 4thcQ Sfman la
passed afterward ana dealing only wi
foreign languages in schools, does /
permit this to be given during the n
ular school hours in any other langua
than English
For the purposes of this act the g,
erning authorities of these private,
nominational or parochial schools sh
have authority to select and pureh;
1 text books, equipments and supplies,
employ teachers, and to have and ex
else the general management of
~ schools, subject to the provisions G
- tanned in the law They must give
the proper grades such courses in Am
lean history and in civil governm