The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-10-06
EDUCATION IMPETUS
AMONG ALL CLASSES
IS RESULT OF WAR
PALLADIUM NEWS BUREAU


WASHINGTON, Oct. 5. - Govern
ment reports indicate that one of the
unexpected results of the recent war
has been to stimulate an unpreceoen,,,
ed demand for education among all
classes of people in the United States.
During the period of the war 1T was
demonstrated educational authorities.
point out, as never before IN the
country's history, the better advant-
ages for employment and advancement
educated people enjoy This fact, it is
said. was etched as with acid into the
minds of the people Consequently not
only are the public schools everywhere
abnormally crowded now, but law,
medical, classical and technical schools
are congested. Enrollments at night
schools are enormous.
Many colleges and universities have
been besieged with applicants for their
courses so far beyond their facilities
of accommodation that admission re-
quirements have had to be tightly
drawn. Gone are the days when COM
petition among the higher educational
institutions was so fierce that "preXy
and his trusted lieutenants had to
sally forth into distant fields to recruit
candidates for the freshman class.
Rural School is Problem.
With the advent of a new scholastic
year attention has been focused on one
educational problem which still awaits
solution. The problem of the rural
school. As a whole, government au-
thorities state, the rural schools of the
United States are considerably below
the standard of the urban public
schools.
Almost half of the school children Of
the United States, about 100000, at
tend one and two teacher schools in
the rural districts, which are located
in 10000 buildings. Many of these
school buildings are unfit for the hous-
ing of children The rural school
buildings of Indiana, as a whole, it
can be said. are much above the gener-
al average in construction, ventilation,
adaptibility and appearance.
An investigation recently concluded
shows that the school term in rural
schools averages 1877 days a year, as
compared to 1S4 days for children at
tending urban schools. Based on these
figures the report shows that the coun.
try child has an elementary school
course of only six years, compared
with an eight year course for the city
child. It is shown that the average
daily attendance at country schools is
90 per cent, while the average daily
attendance at city schools. is 80 per
cent.
Give Attendance Figures.
It is estimated that 80 per cent OF
the country children never go beyond
the elementary school. 1t is also
agreed that city children have as a
rule better teachers. The investiga
ton, in fact, indicates that city chill.
dren have a decided educational
advantage over country children, from
every point of view.
From the standpoint of health the
situation is serious for children who
attend the "litle red school houses,
which the public speaker frequently
refers to with PRIDE but which med
ical authorities just as frequently con
denim with strong language.
When It comes to malnutrition, af
fected tonsils and adenoids, defective
teeth ears and eyes, and death rate
the percentages are all against the
country school children, investigator!
report.
1t is stated that one of the reasons
why the rural schools are so much be
low the average of the city schools i!
comparatively poor superintendent.
Small Salary Paid
Another cause for the condition o
the country schools, as whole, and ;
principal one, is the small salary pait
to the country teacher and the low
efficiency which is the necessar.
consequence.
Forty per cent of the teachers il
q
$500 year, "a per cent less than $50
and II per cent less than $500. 1t i
stated that while the United State
as a whole is spending $40 for eacl
city child's education, it is spendin;
only $24 for the education of tn
country child.
Investigators express no surpris