Federal Aid for Education

history of his country fairly well need feel surprised at the keen interest taken by the Federal Government in public education. The national interest in public education antedates the drafting of the Federal Constitution. The Congress of the Confederation, by ordinance in 1785, demonstrated a national interest by providing that the sixteenth section of every township in the newly surveyed land of the West should be reserved for the support of public schools. After the adoption of the Constitution this policy of the Confederation was confirmed. Apparently the members of Congress were acutely aware of the problems which confronted the pioneers who were moving into the western wilderness. The desire to help them to keep alive the traditions of civilization expressed itself in the pronouncement made in 1787 which has been quoted frequently by those who seek the support of high authority and lofty sentiment in emphasizing the importance of schools: Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged. As a substantial contribution to the ideal thus expressed, Congress reserved the sixteenth section in every township in the Northwest Territory as school land. When, later, states were created out of the Northwest Territory and other parts of the public domain, this policy was continued. By 1850, when California was admitted, two sections of each township were set aside for school support. CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS

Political science · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Environmental Science