Anti-Bias Bill Gets Hearing In State House

Several Harvard student organizations, including the Student Council, the Liberal Union, and the American Veteran's Committee, as well as the Teachers Union intend to testify today in favor of a pair of General Court bills designed to eliminate unfair practices in education.

Hearings on the two suggested measures, S 133 and H 1296 will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the Gardiner Auditorium of the State House and are expected to last all day.

Administrative officials of the University, in contrast to the undergraduate groups, have expressed disapproval of such measures as S 133 and H 1296 on several occasions. No official representatives from Harvard will be on hand, however, to testify at the hearing today.

Declaration Proposal

S 133 provides for a formal declaration on the part of Massachusetts that in accordance with "the American ideal of equality of opportunity...students otherwise qualified be admitted to (non-sectarian) educational institutions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, or national origin.

An office of Director For Fair Educational Practices would be created under the terms of the bill. This director would lead an investigation of any school or college in the Commonwealth suspected of discriminatory admissions procedures.

If after hearings and a review by the State Board of Education, an educational organization was still found guilty of exercising discrimination it would receive an order from the Board of Education "to cease and desist from unfair educational practices." Such orders would be subject to judicial review.

Would Outlaw Quotas

According to the bill any use of a quota system or written and oral inquiries concerning the race, religion, color, or national origin of an applicant for admission constitutes an unfair educational practice.

The other bill, H 1296, merely asks for a special commission to investigate unfair educational practices in the state.

Neither bill asks for any punishment of discriminating schools and colleges. The intent of the proposed acts, their sponsors say, is to put the state on record against discrimination in education and thereby to discourage such practice.