The Omaha guide., 1945-05-19
Land of the Noble Free
by Layle Lane for Calvin's News Service
their behalf.

States rights in education" is
just as absolete in 1945 and just as
harmful of national interests as
states rights in politics was out
mode in 1914. Public money for non
public schools is even more danger
Gus than the states rights slogas.
Therefore. the bills now before
Congress. the Thomas, Hill, Ram
speck Bill S 1S1 and HR 1896 and
the Mead. Aiken Measure S III
which contains concessions to these
policies should be examined very
carefully by every legislator as well
as by every citizen.
There is no derial Of the need for
federal aid: "A pecial census release
of Juse 20. 1912 disclosed that there
are 145S $40 males betweent the
ages of Is and As who have had less
than four years of grade school. By
1943 the army had trained about
IS, 900 of the eligible men in the
fundamentals but this is only a
fraction Of the m~illion-odd men. The
1910 census listed 1000. 900 litter
ates and 10000. 900 functional or
semi-illiterates. Here then is nearly
one tenth of the/population, unable
even to serve their own immediate
needs effectively much less those Of
national or international Importance
A concern then in education IS a
definite obligation of the national
government as it has been from the
time of the Land Ordinance Of 1885
which set aside one section in each
township for the support Of public
schools. True the states during the
past $50 years have been the main
agent of education; but the number
of illiterates now plus the increas-
ing demands for federal aid from
every section of the country indf-
cate the ~inadequacy of the state
system in meeting national needs.
Just how shall the national gov
eminent operate in the field of ed
ucation and for what purpose?
Only a few principles will be con-
sidered here; a. sound business
principles; b. separation of church
an state; C. national standards and
supervision.
Apropos of the first. it has always
been considered good business in
public administration for any
agency appropiating funds to state
specifically for what purpose these
funds are a~llocated. how they
should be spent and means for gov
eminent and the public to check to
see whether their desires have
been carried out. Cities and states
which have not followed this policy
have been subject to a great deal of
graft and corruption. Any other
policy which does not provide for
this check is just as bad for educat-
ion as it is for any other public pur-
pose.
This is where the issue of states
rights is raised and states and even
educators allege that national super
vision and control would mean po-
litical domination. This can be cas-
lily avoided by providing for a NUT
ual check by the state and nation
al office of education and also in
GLIDING national organizations of
teachers in the public schools to
help to determine policies and
check their administration.
Further, the whole purpose Of
federal aid is stated to be equaliz-
ing educational opportunity. There
is no way Of equalizing anything
without haing a measure which can
be used as a standard. The national
goernment should set the standard.
If the army wants men with at least
a fourth grade education. educators
should demand that the goernment
grant money to see that eery child
capable Of receiing chooling should
haze s years of 9 months each of
training. Not to use such as a yard
stick as this results in the same