Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 75, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 April 1918 — TEACHING OF GERMAN TO GO [ARTICLE]

TEACHING OF GERMAN TO GO

INDIANA LEGISLATURE WILL REPEAL GERMAN TEACHING LAW. Indianapolis, April s.—When the next session of the legislature opens the members will find that one of the principle bills in the hopper will be one to repeal" the law which provides for the teaching of German in the public schools of the state. _ A movement is well under way with that end in view, and it has the support of not only a large element of the educators of the state, but of a large number of other persons who are planning to put it through. There is a law on the statute books of the state which provides whereever the parents or guardians of twenty-five or more pupils with the school board a request for the teaching of German in the schools the board shall make provision for German. The board must employ teachers. and place German in the regular course of study. There is no discretion with the school board whfin the proper petition is filed, under that law. As a result, German has been taught for years in the schools in about every city in the state and in many small towns and in the country districts in some parts of the But German AS a subject for study in the schools has become exceedingly unpopular, and the demand has arisen for its elimination. Horace Ellis, state superintendent of public instruction, said, today, that he had heard of the movement for the elimination of German from the sehools, and that he is in favor of the change. He says German as a language no. longer has a place, in the schools of Indiana or of America. He said a bill would be prepared and introduced as soon as the session of the general assembly opens. If a special session is called by Governor Goodrich, as now seems probable, the bill will be introduced at that special session. If not, it will be presented

to the next regular session. The fact is that the study of German in the schools of the state already has dwindled almost to northing.. A number of cities, including Indianapolis. Richmond, Goshen, Columbus, Terre Haute and others ordered the immediate discontinuance of German in the grades, while (Evansville and several other cities ; have ordered its discontinuance at the close of the present school year. It is said that fully 30 per cent of the students enrolled in German classes are now pursuing some substitute therefore in the Indiana common schools. With the opening of the new *year, Sept. 1918, German will be a lost art as far as the Indiana common schools are concerned. To a great extent this change will come about automatically and voluntarily on’the part of the public themselves, and the boards of trusj tees of the schools in Indiana. . Last January the state board of education authorized Spanish and French along with Latin and German as satisfying foreign language requirements for graduation from the - high schools. The result of this action was practical elimination of nearly all the .German in the high schools, no student electing to take it. Similar action was taker, by the board of trustees of the state normal, wherq, when classes were opened in Spanish end French more than 11 .students enrolled for these languages while only three enrolled for German - In many of ibc cities of the state no definite action has been taken by the schbol boards for the discontinuance of German, but / the . school authorities have been discontinuing it and B<in their influence to keep

students from asking for German as a study. As a result of this policy, German is rapidly “flickering out” in the schools of Hammond, Vincennes, Washington, Loganspirt, Williamsport, Lebanon, Marion, Muncie, Huntington, Fort Wayne, Hartford City and a number of other places. Indications are that it will not be long before the study of German in Indiana schools will be little more than a memory, and the subtle influence of a study of the German language, will no longer be felt to the detriment of the growing generations.