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tral African types, such as chief, slave, and witch doctor; and life-size groups and fig. ures of Eskimo and Indians. Photographs of period art and of the cultural materials of Greece, Italy, and Egypt, are also to be found here.

Zoology Department has many exhibits of birds and mammals in lifelike positions, and a fairly inclusive section showing the flora and fauna of the District of Columbia. Many of these have been photographed.

Geology Department's exhibits include dinosaurs and other extinct monsters, as well as smaller fossil forms. A few of the other geology exhibits available in photographic form are ores, minerals, gems, and meteorites.

NATIONAL COLLECTION OF FINE ARTS sells many post-card-size reproductions and 8- by 10-inch prints of any object of art in its permanent collection. You can get a catalog of the post-card-size reproductions on request. Its collections include sculptures, miniatures, enamels, carved ivory, glasswork, jewels, antique furniture, and paintings from the old masters to contemporary artists.

FREER GALLERY OF ART is devoted primarily to oriental art. Its extremely valuable collections include ceremonial bronze vessels used 4,000 years ago, carved jade pieces, pottery from many countries of the East, enameled glasswork of Syria, Chinese and Japanese paintings on silk, early Bible

NATIONAL AIR MUSEUM has the larg. manuscripts, and miniature Persian paint

est aeronautical collection in the world. Although most of its exhibits are now stored in Chicago awaiting completion of a building to house them, many well-known planes are on exhibit in Washington and have been photographed. Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis," Wiley Post's "Winnie Mae," and the original Wright brothers' Kitty Hawk plane of 1903, are three of the more famous ones now available.

ings. The Gallery also has some American art, including a large collection of etchings, lithographs, and water colors of James McNeill Whistler.

NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART was discussed in an article by Dr. Raymond Stites, curator in charge of education of the National Gallery, in an earlier issue. (See SCHOOL LIFE, April 1950.)

NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK carries on educational, research, and recreational

activities. It encourages study of any kind that can be done without injuring visitors or animals, and has a limited number of pictures of animals (birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals) which you can buy at the regular 40 cent price.

To obtain any of the photographs mentioned above, write to the Smithsonian Institution, Washington 25, D. C.

The history of the Smithsonian Institution is an interesting one. James Smithson, an Englishman who had never been in the United States, left his entire fortune of $550,000 to this country to found an establishment "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men." He chose the name "Smithsonian Institution."

Legally the Smithsonian Institution has as its members the President of the United States, the Vice President, the Chief Justice, and the members of the President's Cabinet. It is governed by a Board of Regents, consisting of the Vice President, the Chief Justice, three members each of the United States Senate and the House of Representatives, and six citizens of the United States appointed by joint resolution of Congress. The Secretary of the Institution is its executive officer and the director of its activities.

New Publications of Office of Education

AN INSPIRING STORY about how gradeschool children worked to make their town a healthier and better place to live is told in another new publication of the Office of Education, "Petersburg Builds a Health Program."

As a result of their efforts, these children not only made great strides in improving health conditions in Petersburg, but also added greatly to their own skills and knowledge. The "project," as it came to be known, had widespread effects on the entire school program.

Subjects ceased to be arbitrarily divided. Spelling and reading lessons took on new meaning, as they were necessary for carry. ing on the "project." Letters weren't make-believe, they were written to thank real people for real services performed. And arithmetic classes were devoted sometimes to counting and adding pigs or chickens within town limits, and sometimes to tabulating the results obtained from questionnaires.

During the course of the "project," the boys and girls tried many new techniques for gathering information such as field trips, interviews, questionnaires, and photography. They learned to share their findings with others by means of reports, maps, charts, newspaper articles, bulletin boards. Probably most important of all, they learned how to pool their information and to use suggestions from many different people.

Copies of "Petersburg Builds a Health Program" (Office of Education Bulletin 1949, No. 9), are for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C., for 20 cents.

"SPACE AND EQUIPMENT for Homemaking Programs," a recent Office of Education bulletin, should be of interest to home economists and school building people.

The booklet is designed to help teachers, supervisors, architects, school boards, and

all those concerned with planning homemaking departments. It presents suggestions for planning location and lay-out, furnishings, equipment, and storage facilities; and it gives some general considerations in building plus a few hints on making the department safe, sanitary, and attractive.

Ata Lee, program specialist for the home economics education service of the Office of Education and author of the booklet, emphasized that "The present day homemaking curriculum includes all the areas of homemaking involved in the management of a home and in providing for the welfare of the family."

For quick and easy checking, there's a list in the appendix which reminds those planning a homemaking department of the space and equipment they should think about including.

This publication (Office of Education Miscellaneous No. 9) may also be ordered from the Superintendent of Documents. It costs 35 cents.

-Elinor B. Waters.

The Office of Education-Its Services and Staff

Division of Vocational Education

THE DIVISION of Vocational Education administers Federal funds appropriated by Congress for this type of education, promulgates policies which govern the use of these funds, aids States in determining what their vocational education needs are, how to provide for them, and in many other ways assists the individual States in promoting and developing their vocational education programs. The Division provides services in the fields of agriculture, business, home economics, trades and industry, and occupa tional information and guidance. Its administrative functions are performed

through the office of the Assistant Commissioner for Vocational Education, which also provides service to the States to facilitate program planning and the development of an adequate program of vocational education for youth and adults in city and country.

The program of vocational education in the United States has been developed in conformity with the provisions of the Smith-Hughes Act, approved by the Congress February 23, 1917. Supplementary acts have been enacted from time to time.

THIS IS THE SECOND in a series of
statements appearing in SCHOOL LIFE
on the work of the Office of Educa-
tion. Services and staff members of
the Division of Vocational Education
and the Division of Higher Education
are reported in this month's presenta-
tion.

The latest of these is the Vocational Edu-
cation Act of 1946, commonly known as the
George-Barden Act. The Smith-Hughes
and George-Barden Acts are the only acts
currently effective. These and the several
other vocational education acts were passed
for the purpose of promoting and develop-
ing vocational education through a plan for
cooperation between the Federal Govern-
ment and the States.

This plan of cooperation for the develop-
ment of vocational education is based upon
two fundamental ideas: (1) That vocational
education is a matter of national interest
and essential to the national welfare, and
(2) that Federal funds are necessary to
stimulate and to assist the States in making
adequate provisions for such training.

FEDERAL-STATE - LOCAL RELATIONS IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

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The controlling purpose of vocational education is stated in the Smith-Hughes Act, "to fit for useful employment," i. e., to provide training to develop skills, abilities, understandings, attitudes, working habits, and appreciations, and to impart knowledge and information needed by workers to enter and make progress in employment on a useful and productive basis. Vocational education is an integral part of the total education program. It makes a contribution toward the development of good citizens, including their health, social, civic, cultural, and economic interests.

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The needs of two distinct groups of ple are recognized by the acts in stating that the education provided shall be designed to meet the needs of persons over 14 years of age (1) who are preparing for, or (2) who have entered upon, the work of various occupations in the fields of agriculture, distributive occupations, home economics, and trades, and industry. Vocational education is intended to meet the training needs of persons who are preparing for employment and to supplement or extend training for those who are employed. Training opportunities are not restricted to young persons who are enrolled in the regular day schools but are extended to serve all out-ofschool youth and adults, both employed and unemployed, who are in need of the kinds of training which can be provided best in organized classes.

Staff Vocational Education Division Office of Assistant Commissioner

RAYMOND W. GREGORY, Assistant U. S. Commissioner for Vocational Education and Director, Division of Vocational Education.

JERRY R. HAWKE, Executive Assistant for Voca-
tional Education.

JAMES R. COXEN, Assistant Director, Division of
Vocational Education, in charge of Program
Planning.

WARD P. BEARD, Assistant Director, Division of
Vocational Education in charge of Plans and
Reports.

JAMES W. KELLY, Field Representative (Pacific
Region).

EDWARD G. LUDTKE, Field Representative (South-
ern Region).

(Continued on page 127)

THE

How To Obtain U. S. Gover

HE following chart contains information on those Government films which were available for public use in the United States on March 15, 1950. Because of space limitations, agencies with only a few such films have been omitted from the chart.

on Because space agencies a have

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1 Various regional offices, depositories, and other distributors are listed in “A Directory of 897 16mm Film Libraries,” compiled by the Office of Education and available from the Superintendent of Documents. Price: 15 cents.

Legislation as It Affects State School Administration

Principles and Trends Across the Nation During the Past Decade

by Ward W. Keesecker, Specialist in School Legislation

MPROVEMENTS IN State laws affecting

the administration of State systems of education offer a challenging opportunity for constructive leadership in educational affairs. Experience in the development of State systems of education clearly indicates that the legal organization and forms and principles of State educational systems are vitally related to efficiency in education. Hence, those of us who seek to improve our State educational systems do not naively subscribe to Pope's idea:

"For forms of government let fools contest; That which is best administered is best."

However excellent may be the quality of school personnel, it does not supplant the need for wise legal organization and procedures in the administration of education. Constitutions and statutory enactments determine the structural organization and guiding principles of State school administration.

Constitutional Status of Education

Education under our form of government is committed in the main to the several States. The Tenth Amendment of the Federal Constitution leaves to each State of the Union the right and the responsibility to organize its educational system as it deems most appropriate.

With few exceptions, State constitutions make it obligatory upon their respective legislatures to provide for the establishment and maintenance of efficient systems of public schools. State legislatures are considered as having full and plenary powers with respect to educational affairs. According to the late Justice Brandeis:

It is one of the happy incidents of the Federal system that a single courageous State may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory to try novel, social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country.

This freedom of experimentation on the

part of a State has applied also in the field of education, and under this freedom were established the beginnings of our present State systems of public education. Under this freedom, public education has come now to be the primary and biggest enterprise of the States. Quoting again from Justice Brandeis:

America has believed in differentiation, not uniformity, lies the path of progress. It acted on this belief; it has advanced human happiness, and it has prospered.

In most States the people have been content with few or limited constitutional provisions for education. For example, in most States it has been sufficient to limit constitutional provisions simply to that of charging the legislature with responsibility for an adequate and uniform system of edu cation. Some go further and provide operational structure and organization and define the powers and duties of school officials.

Legislative Power Over Education

Public schools exist by operation of law. In this country public schools are the creatures of the State legislature acting under constitutional authority. Except as modified by constitutional restraints, a State legislature has plenary power over education. The legislature also has a choice to exercise or not to exercise its power; and there is no direct recourse for the people for failure on the part of the legislature to act. The legislature cannot be brought before The legislature cannot be brought before any superior tribunal to answer for its failure to act. On the other hand, if it acts beyond its authority such acts may be overruled by the courts.

The educational prerogative of a State legislature is a vital one. The authority over education has been held by courts to be not necessarily a distributive one, to be exercised by local instrumentalities; but on the contrary, a central power residing in the legislature of the State. This principle has been aptly stated by the Supreme Court of Indiana in the following words:

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In the American Commonwealths, where education continues to be regarded primarily as a State function, the following basic legal principles may be noted:

1. State legislatures have absolute power to control public schools unless limited by constitutional provisions. (State constitutions generally turn the subject over to the legislatures.)

2. The control of education is in no way inherent in the local self-government except as the legislatures have chosen to make it so.

3. Public education may be a separate field distinct from local government.

4. The legislature having tried one method of school administration and maintenance is not precluded from trying another.

Significant Trends

The Chief State School Officer

Selection. It is significant to note that the trend during the past 10 years has been definitely toward appointment of State superintendents by State boards of education. This trend is evidenced by legis lation in five States, namely, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, and Texas. MISSOURI in 1944, by constitutional amendment, changed the method of selecting the chief State school officer from election by the people to appointment by the State board of education;

The legislature of MASSACHUSETTS in 1947 changed the method of selecting the chief State school officer from appointment by the governor to appointment by the State board of education;

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