NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1961 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 1068

SENATE BILL 268

 

 

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR MORE ADEQUATE TEACHING OF THE NORTH CAROLINA AND LOCAL HISTORY IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

 

WHEREAS, at the present time the more than one million students in the public schools of North Carolina are not receiving adequate instruction in the history of their own State and of their respective counties and communities; and

WHEREAS, in many instances the aforesaid students are taught more regarding the history of ancient Greece and Rome, of medieval and modern Europe, of the British Empire, and of the. United States in general than they are taught of the history of their own State of North Carolina and of their own localities; and

WHEREAS, many of our history books emphasize the past achievements and the great men of certain other States of the Union, but either omit entirely or else barely mention similar facts regarding the State of North Carolina; and

WHEREAS, many of the teachers in our public schools are not now properly prepared and educated to give adequate instruction in North Carolina history and need to be better trained in this field, and a Statewide historical advisor is needed to coordinate such a program of teacher training; and

WHEREAS, materials on the history of many of our counties are either totally lacking or are sadly inadequate; and

WHEREAS, due to the aforesaid situation, the State of North Carolina has never received its due and deserved share of credit for the essential part it played in the building of the American Nation, a condition that has not stimulated proper State pride among our people and has resulted in our failing to receive a fair share of the business of tourists who come to visit historic sites; and

WHEREAS, a number of our leading citizens and State-wide and other organizations, such as the North Carolina Society of County and Local Historians, the North Carolina Society for the Preservation of Antiquities, the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association, the North Carolina Folklore Society, the Roanoke Island Historical Association, and others are determined that the bad situation outlined above ought to and must be remedied, and these organizations have requested that the General Assembly take appropriate action: Now, therefore,

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

 

Section 1.  The Department of Archives and History, with the cooperation of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, is hereby authorized and directed to develop and conduct a program for the better and more adequate teaching of State and local history in the public schools of North Carolina, including the preparation and publication of suitable histories of all counties where such histories do not now exist and of other appropriate materials, the distribution of such materials to the public schools for a reasonable charge, and the coordination of this program throughout the State.

Sec. 2.  All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with this Act are hereby repealed.

Sec. 3.  This Act shall be in full force and effect from and after its ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 21st day of June, 1961.