The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-17
= TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM A TION
Blu RE Al
FREDERIC J. HAEKIN. Director.
Washington. D. c.
\ NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION.
Washington. D. c.

EDUCATION.
Washington, d. c., Feb. lire
member the 700, 000!" might well be
the slogan of the legislators ana edu-
Gators who are now urging upon con-
gress the creation of a department of
education with a cabinet officer at its
head.
Seven hundred thousand is the
number of Americans drafted to fight
for their country who could neither
read nor write. The fact that nearly
million men of military age in the
United States were illiterate seems to
be ample proof that something is the
matter with our present system OF
education; ana a strong national de-
partment devoted to its improvement
is favored as the remedy.
Americanizinss the alien, stamping
! out illiteracy, training teachers, rails
ing health standards and studying for
eign school systems are a few of the
functions which the proposed federal
department of education will possess.
In some cases, it's part would be
merely that of advising states or COM
munities. Along other lines the de-
partment would take hold of pro-
ject and direct 1t in detail
Nominally, education has always
been a national matter. Practically,
it has been 50 localized that excellent
C.
while in another much effort apd
money were expended with obviously
unSatisfa Glory results.
Now, while the wars graphic illus
trations of the value of education are
still fresh in the minds of the people,
the drive for progress in our educa-
tional system is being started. Exigen-
cies of war resulted in education
being classed with matters of second
airy importance, and this in spite of
constant demands for trained intelli-
gence in all lines of war work. During
the war schools were ayowedIy placed
pupils alike volunteered for war serv-
ice, and courses were shortened or
omitted.
The danger now is that superficial
courses and depleted schoolrooms may
become the normal condition A scar-
city of competent teachers caused by
low salaries, and the high wages Of
tered to girls and boys for manual
labor are two main reasons for the
thinly populated schoolroom A fed
eral department of education would
nave the power to investigate these
problems and direct campaigns for
their solution.
Powers of this sort the existing bu-
reau of eduction does not have. AS a
branch of the interior department. it
is supposed in general way to pro-
mote education, but no liberal inter-
probation of that idea has ever been
granted it. Its chief function has been
collecting facts and figures regarding
school systems and disseminating its
knowledge upon request.
In an interview on the subject ofthe
proposed department, Dr.. P. P. Clax-
ton, commissioner of the bureau of
education, said that from the point of
view of the present bureau of educa-
ton, the outstanding feature of the
plan is that its work would no longer
be chiefly a passive collecting of facts.
AS part of the department of edu-
cation, it would be actively engaged in
| Improvement of educational condi-
tons.
1.-THE bureaus main difficulty" said
Doctor Claxton, has been lack of
funds and clerical labor. When the
government provides adequate salar-
| les, such as the two bills before con-
gress do provide, more efficient men
who are intensely interested in edu-
cation Will be directing the work"
Two distinct bills for a department
of education have been proposed. One,
known as the Smith bill provides
Definite sums of money and specifies
exact powers of the department eIt
appropriates s10O.O00.O00 for the use
| of the department during the first
year. Amounts to be used for each
| state depend on local needs. To re-
| ceive appropriations FIR removing
illiteracy, training teachers. or any of
| the other projects. a state must add a
dollar to every government dollar re-
ceived, thus doubling the fund.
The other measure called the Baer
bill, is more general in its wording and
more idealistic in conception. It
| would create a department of educa-
ton and human welfare. The scope
! n S1rrlr
ties would be rathe> wider than in
Senator Smiths plan. Representative
| Baer proposes, for one thing, self-help
| establishments which would consist of
| Observation-Disclosures school work.
shops, established on the public
| domain, or other government owned
| lands. Trades, including agriculture.
would be taught free of charge to the
| students. Sections of land would be
| given over to students for them to oc-
cupy and cultivate during their train
ing. This is Representative Baers
| contribution towards solving the IN
| employment problem
| All persons interested IN the passage
| of either of the bills are emphasizins
| the fact that federal department OF
education would in no way affect the
| right of each individual state to ad-
minister its school system. Education
would still be a local matter, but there
would be a. central organization CO.
operating with every state in order to
| improve educational facilities in ALL
The need for federal help is es-
/ pecially felt in rural communities
where teachers with little or no train
ing are the rule rather than the ex-
ception, and where funds for school
Improvement are not easy to obtain
/ because the cost of educating a child
in the small country school is already
! greater than that of educating the
| child in the more efficient city school
The relation of the government to
school children has during the wal
been strongly stressed by many or
CARNATIONS, both governmental and
unofficial. The department of agri-
culture, public health service, Red
Cross. and all the different war COM
missions lombard the teachers with