New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-09
School Campaign Is
Urged as Cure for
Child Illiteracy
Bureau Is Backing Big Drive
To Get Tots Back to Desks
And Out of Factories
By Hannah Mitchell
Nsic York Tribune
WASHINGTON Bureau


WASHINGTON. March 7.-An alarm
ing percentage of iliteracy among
working children is disclosed in the
figures collected in the "stay-in-sc I'll COL"
Bureau. The stay-in- school drive is
now on for the period from February
10 to March 15
Figures showing illiteracy among
children were gathered by the bureau
IN issuing Federal certificates of age
to children in five states where state
certificates were not acceptable for the
purposes of the former Federal child
labor law. Certificates were issued to
1856 children between the ages of
fourteen and sixteen years. Of these
moro than one-fourth, 1924. could not
eevn write their names legibly.
The stay-in-school drive grew out of
the work of the Children's Bureau to
put back into school some of the chill
dren who left to "help win the war"
The Council Of National Defence and
the junior divisions of the United
States Employment Service have CO.
operated with the Chiidren's Bureau in
the work persuading boys and girls,
work. to go to school
Leaflets called "a Message to the
Boys and Girls Of America" have been
distributed by thousands among boys
and girls throughout the country. Re-
ports from school teachers 10 the
Children's Bureau say that these pam
phlets. containing a concise statement
OF what education means to the work
ing child and few simple tables of
figures on the subject, have been in
such demand from the children them
selves that they could not be printed
fast enough. Boys and girls in school
have distributed tncm to their friends
who were working.
Child labor laws and compulsory
school attendance laws go hand in
hand in this work of trying to keep the
working children in school. They en-
body higher standards for the protec-
ton of children and at the same time
protect labor from having a flood of
cheap, unskilled competition thrown on
an already full employment market.
Although the laws of most states do
not permit children to work until
they are fourteen years old, the junior
advisers in New York are urging chill
dren to stay in school until they are
at least sixteen years old. Under
the American school system it is ex-
pected that child will have finished
the eighth grade by the time he is
fourteen years old. BY trying to keep
children until they are sixteen years
be added to their education.
The Chidren's Bureau recently is
sued the statement that, with educa-
ton within their reach, American chill
dren were not getting adequate edu-
cation. The central Northwestern
states have the largest percentage of
children between the ages of Sin and
eighteen years in school, and the South
Atlantic states have the lowest at
tendance record"
The proportion of children not in
school is smallest among the eleven
year-old children and increases steadi-
~ from twelve years on. At eighteen
little more than one-Gfth of the boys
and girls in the country are still at
their studies.
In the five states where Federal GER
tifcates were issued by the Childrens
Bureau, Of 1870 white children be-
tween fourteen and sixteen years old
and 1,166 negro children of the same
ages, 96 per- cent of the white chill
dren had not reached the eighth grade,
and 81 per cent of the negro children.
These figures showed that few of the
children old enough to secure work
certificates had accomplished the
amount of school work the child vel
fare students believe necessary.
In view Of the large per cent of
children fourteen years old who have
not finished the eighth grade, new
certificates for work are being drawn
on minimum educational standards.
Inc Chlldren's Bureau bases part Of
Its contention for this new require
nent on the large amount of iliteracv
found among men drafted for the
United States army.
NO educational requirements for work
certificates are necessary in some
states. Other states demand that the
child who wants to 60 to work shall
have been in school a certain number
or days IN the year preceding his ap>
pllcatlon. And some states require that
the child shall have completed q GER
tain grade in school. Most of these
make necessary the completion of the
fourth or fifth grade
Until recently age has been the only
requirement for work certificates. A
peculiar attitude has been adopted in
many states toward mentally deficient
children, it is found by the Children's
Bureau. Although they are undoubt-
edly subject TO greater risk in industry
than are normal children, parents and
teachers IN some states have taken the
point of view that these defective chill
dren were better off at work than at
school
The Children's Bureau is fighting this
idea and trying to teach that these de-
1ectives should have as much education
as they can grasp and of such kind
rs to make them valuable citizens. AS
an instance 1t is pointed out that de
1ectlves often develop skill of hand and
great dexterity if given the chance.
fhyslcal requirements are now being
made IN some states for working GER
ticates And attention is given in
others to the kind of work bows and
girls enter after they get their GER
,ihcatcs. In few instances officers
nave obtained better paying Jobs for
older members of a family so that
mere would be no excuse for the chill
ofen working, and in others scholar
Shlps nave been provided for chill
drcn amounting TO what their salaries
would be. 'e'
Since the armistice was sjo-ned The
demand for child labor has ceased 70
some extent But the persons who be-
HeVeo IN u as war measure were in
reality only using i, as an. excuse 70
get cheap labor. However. children
themselves arc not 30 strongly attract
ga toward work as they were, because
the wages have dropped perccptiblv in
the last few weeks.
One little argument against work
for the children who wish to work il
The frbia znr. pfp,r tknro a.