The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-07-15
Frederic Haskin's Letter
Our Cheap Education.

Washington, D. c., July 18Th,
United States must spend about 81,
times as much as 1t does now fol
education before We can hope {.
make the schools satisfactory ans
provide for oar children the educa
ton necessary for good Citizenship
for democracy and for industrial
efficiency.
This statement is based upon re
cent studies made by the bureau o
education, which show that thu
United States does not begin Il
use a proportionate part Of th'
national income for educationa
purposes, and the results obtained
from such meager funds as have
been grudgingly appropriated BY
the different states emphasize thai
fact. Another recent report issued
by the committee on education OF
the house of representatives shows
that the United States ranks about
ninth among civilized nations in
.iiliteracy. This statement is based
upon average figures and facilities
In the United States the percent
are of illiteracy is III for the total
population, over 10 years of age
and 3 per cent for the native white
population. In Denmark. Germany.
Holland, Sweden, Switzerland and
the United Kingdom the percentage
OF llIlteracy is lower than that for
the native white population of the
united States. The bureau of the
census states that this list should
probably include Norway. although
no hgures are available for that
country. There is also less Hitter
acy IN Australia than in the United
States. In Bulgaria, Greece. Hun
gary, Italy, Portugal, Roumania,
Russia, Servia, Spain and non
european countries other than Aus
traila, the percentage of iTliteracy
averages much higher than in the
united States, extending from 80 to
~ per cent of the population.
The Average Cost.
The total wealth of the United
States is 100000, 900, 900, and the an
nual income about $4,000, 900 900.
Inc statistical division of the bu-
reau of education says that only
s763, 678,0S9 is spent each year for
the education of young America.
The average total paid by the Unit
ed States for Is years of a chiId's
Notwithstanding the pupils
from the age of years to normal
graduation from high school when
10 years old-is 1882. The lowest
average paid for the education of
each individual by a state is s63.
and the highest, $637. The state
paying the, highest is Montana.
which pays almost exactly 10 times
the amount paid by those giving the
least, which are Mississippi and
alabama Massachusetts, famous
Ior culture, gives only $3.50. With
the exception of the District of
Columbia, the far western states
lead in generosity along this line.
IN this country where we bIithely
acknowledge that all things depend
upon education, We spend only an
average of $2,092, 1858 per day for the
purpose of educating more than
q 100000 boys and girls between
the ages of and 10. Including
children of kindergarten age there
are more than 30,00o,0 coo children
IN this country to be educated. This
means an expenditure of about z
cents per day for the education of
each individual child above years
Of age. Moreover, it has been
shown by the bureau of education
that he average individual in the
United States gets only about six
years of schooling.
The army mental tests proved il
iteracy to be common in the United
States among wage-earning adults,
and the extensive popularity of the
courses offered to men
snllsting in the army, navy and ma,
inc corps proved by their power
IS a drawing card, that a growing
heed is felt for more education.
1t has been stated by the war de-
,artment that nearly so per cent of
hose who enlisted stated that thev
lesired to enlist so as to get the
advantages offered by
he service. Similar in popularity
ire the courses offered by the Ma