CHAPTER III ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION THE individual state is the source of power in the organization and administration of public education. The influence of the United States upon education has been effected largely through grants of land made to individual commonwealths, and through the Bureau of Education. These grants have been made both for the benefit of the common schools and also for higher education. By the act of July 2, 1862, about thirteen millions of acres were granted by the Federal government to the several states for the establishment or promotion of higher education and especially of mechanical or agricultural education. The amount of land given for the support of the public schools and common schools is far greater than that given for the support of the higher education. For the universities and agricultural and mechanical colleges about ten million acres have been given, but for the common schools more than seventy million. Among the states the common schools of which have been more richly endowed, are Utah, with about six million acres, Montana and California with five million acres each, Idaho and Colorado three million acres each, North and South Dakota have each received more than two million acres, Oregon and Nevada each more than three million acres, Minnesota and Kansas each more than two million acres. Although the general government has committed the interests of the education of the pupil to each individual state, it has aided each individual state in doing its educational work through these large grants. It has sought to apply a proper doctrine of state rights, and it has also endeavored to increase and to make more efficient the rights which each state exercises. The influence of the general government is also exercised through the Bureau of Education. This was created as a department in 1867, and became a part of the Interior Department two years later. The establishment of the Bureau of Education was the direct result of public discussion. In this discussion three plans by which the general government might aid education were suggested. It was suggested that the government might establish a national system of education. It was also suggested that Congress might oblige each state to maintain a public school system. It was further intimated that Congress might, through a department of the national government, and through grants of the public domain, persuade each state to maintain voluntarily a more efficient system of education. The first plan was never seriously or largely entertained. It was opposed to the educational law that efficiency of public education becomes the greater as the responsibility for carrying it forward is more directly and immediately felt. The second plan was opposed to the constitutional method of government of the United States. The third plan was in respect to the public grants, the continuation of the method long pursued by the government. The Department of Education represented a new and distinctive force. This force represented greater uniformity and accuracy in gathering the statistics of education and finer wisdom in their interpretation. It also was designed to give an opportunity for the comparison of different school systems, not |