Evening star., 1924-04-28
in TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT
BY PAUL J.. COLLINS

Today Congress has under consider
alton the Sterling bill, successor to
the Hoke Smith bill of some years
| ago. 1t will establish a federal De-
partment Of Education, with Il Secre-
tary in the Presidents cabinet; some
| of its critics base their chief objec-
tion upon the right of each state to
| maintain it's own policies regarding
education. The Sterling Reed bill
says identically the same thing, for
in each paragraph defining the pur-
poses of the apportionment of funds
to the respective states appears this
clause:
"All funds apportioned to state
for the removal OF illlteraey''-or for
the Americanization Of immigrants,
or for providing better public ele-
mentary and secondary schools, or for
physical education, or for providing
better instruction and eXtcndde school
terms. especially in rural schools, or
for the partial payment of teachers
better instruction and extended school
adaptation OF public Libraries for
educational purposes, or all funds ap-
portioneo to a state to equalize edu-
cational OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES be dis
tributed and administered in accord
ance with the laws of said state, in
like manner as provided by state and
local authorities for the same pur-
| pose. and the state and local edu-
the courses of study, plans and
| methods for carrying out the pur-
poses OF this section within said
state In accordance with the laws
thereof"
In spite of the above absolute dis
avowal Of any attempt to interfere
with state control of the schools, or
their methods and courses of instruc-
tion, or limiting their initiative in
research or adaptation to local ideals
OF education. the opponents of the
measure base most Of, their op-
position upon the theory that some
how there will be an effort to stand
ardize education" and to influence the
schools SO that they will teach polit-
| ical economy to suit the political
party in power
The control being left in the hands
or state authorities is limited only by
the following proviso:
| provided, however. that the appor-
tionments authorized by this section
by law provide: (a) 4 legal school
term OF at least twenty-four weeks
IN each year for the benefit of all
children of school age in each state:
(o) a compulsory school attendance
law requiring all children between
the ages OF seven and fourteen years
to attend some school at least twenty
| FOUR weeks in each year; (c) that the
English language shall be the basic
language OF instruction in the common
school branches in all schools, public and
| private: provided that apportionment
may be made under the provisions OF
| this section to a state prevented by its
constitution from full compliance with
the foregoing conditions IL said condi- :
tlons are Appropriated as nearly as con-
stitutional limitations win permit
= Z
Nearly all Of the witnesses who
have appeared in the House hearings
have come from Baltimore and all
such were opposing the measure,
mainly On behalf Of state rights The
bill does not oppose parochial or pri-
vate schools: attendance Of the pupil
| In any such private school counts the
| same as In a public school provided
the term is not less than twenty four
| weeks a year and the basic Language
| is English. State authorities retain
the same jurisdiction over all schools,
| both public and private, as at present.
| Z !
| Letters have been put into the
hearings from eminent college presi-
dents whose opposition appears in all
cases to be based upon an idea that
the proposal is to "standardize educa-
ton and limit initiative through
federal control by Secretaries Of edu-
cation who would not be qualified as
educators, but would be politicians,
changing with each new administra-
! tion.
! President Emeritus Charles w Eliot
| OF Harvard expresses fear that the
| Secretary Of Education might inter
| fere with the able management OF the
/ Smithsonian Institution. He rather