It has already been made clear that the Federal Government influences and controls educational organisation indirectly, although the State Governments are free to conduct their own independent systems of education.
The Federal Government has given them Land Grants from time to time and has also helped them financially for training in Technical, Industrial and Agricultural subjects.
In the eighteenth century, the land which was not owned by the public was under Federal Government. That land was given to the States for establishing educational institutions on the condition that the State Governments would preserve it and use its income for the expansion of free education.
Image Source : maestrobytumlare.com
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The Federal Government continued to give Land Grants to the State Governments for opening new institutions from time to time. In 1830, the United State Congress extended Land Grants and help still further.
By the end of the nineteenth century, State Governments were given financial assistance under the Smith Hughes Act for training in Technical, Industrial and Agricultural subjects at the secondary level.
During the last years of the nineteenth century when the civil war started, the Federal Government gave sufficient Land Grants to the State Governments for Technical and Agricultural schools under the Morril Act. During the Second World War the Federal Government handed the Land Grant system and its patronage to the State Governments.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The Federal Government conducts its educational programme through its education office. Education office has been established to control and implement the educational programmes. In 1939, the Department of Education Office, hitherto independent, was attached to the Federal Security Agency.
Other departments of the Federal Government also continued to give financial help and grants for the provision of education in allied subjects. For example in 1897, the Department of Agriculture, under the Morril and Hatch Act, gave Land Grants and financial help for improvements in agricultural education. In 1917, the Federal Government by establishing Federal Board of Vocational Education also provided financial assistance.
In 1920, the assistance given by this Board was transferred to the State Governments and the provision of education for abnormal people was also included in this arrangement.
In 1912, the Department of Commerce and Labour established Children’s’ Bureau of Education. The main aim of the Bureau was to study the problems of civilian conservation corps and to formulate child welfare plans.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Thus the different departments of the Federal Government gave grants and financial help to State Governments for specialised education in allied subjects.
The Federal Government not only gave Land Grants and financial assistance to the State Governments for special programmes and educational plans but it also encouraged and assisted Private Agencies and Community Agencies.
During the depression period of the third decade of the current century, the Private Agencies and Community Agencies started certain educational programmes and later on, these agencies became educational institutions.
In 1933, the Government established Civilian Conservation Corps to provide employment and vocational training to the unemployed persons. Similarly, another institution namely the National Youth Administration was established in 1935.
This institution helped in the absence of any vocation and provided part-time jobs to students during education. After 8 or 9 years, this institution had to be closed for want of popular support. Seriousness of the (Second World War led the Federal Government to establish two more institutions— Public Works Administration and Civil.
Aeronautic Authority. These institutions were affiliated to the Federal Government in order to compensate for devaluation and National Defence. National Defence Organisation helped in the training of the defence personnel and thus fulfilled its obligations successfully.
After the War, the Government was faced with the problem of employing the persons returning from the army. Therefore, in 1944, the Servicemen’s Re-adjustment Act was passed in order to overcome unemployment and for providing vocational training.
For this purpose, curriculum was re-adjusted to include vocational training and provision of financial help and also of scholarships was made for the successful execution of the Act.
The arrangement was made to help the ex-servicemen and other persons returning from the army to a great extent in earning a living. In 1948, the Federal Government further extended their help to the institution in order that it may not face any deficit and may carry on its work successfully.