The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-09
Fighting Illiteracy
From the Anniston Star.

The American Legion throughout the couil- try is striking hands this week with the Amer ican Education association for the purpose of quickening educational ideals in the American people, and the Alabama department of the Legion has joined enthusiastically in this work, realizing that 'the foundation of every state is the education of it's youth"
 Alabama under the present administration has been very fortunate in having friends of education in charge of the governmental ma chinery. Governor Kilby has placed the cause of education foremost in his legislative pro- gram, and the members of the legislature have responded willingly to his appeals for the com mon schools the normal schools, the technical schools and the university As a consequence, it is said that we are today making greater progress educationally than any other state in the union, the Alabama educational code having been adopted as model by several of the high est institutions of learning in the country.
 But while Alabama has made forward strides, we are still near the bottom in the ladder of illiteracy, and there is much in the program of the American Legion and the American Edu- cation association that we may contemplate with profit during this week."
 We know that the seating capacity in Ala bama schools is so limited that we cannot prop erly enforce the compulsory attendance law; that the equipment of the schools we have is insufficient and inefficient; that it is next to criminal to accept standards maintained by some of our teachers; that there are about 200 ,000 illiterates in Alabama, of whom more than 100000 are of voting age, and that this condition constitutes menace to the Alabama commonwealth. But we need not be surprised that we are not making greater strides in the war against iliteracy when it is considered that the average pay of the Alabama teacher is less than that of day lahorer.
 It is eminently fitting that the American Le- zion should be interested in this problem, for the first draft revealed the startling fact that there were 100000 illiterates between the ages of 21 and 31 in this country; and since ma jority of these illiterates came from the rural districts, it is fitting that the Legion and the American Education association together should be primarily interested in rural education.
 The rural schools in Alabama will not begin to get square deal until they are supplied larger quota of our trained teachers. In fact, no state in the Union has placed sufficient phass on this question, for there is just much reason to insist on an educational standard for the teacher profession, for natural adapta- bility and talent, as there is for the profession to be used mere stepping stone to one of the other professions, to a business, or matrimonial career. Statistics prepared some time ago showed that in the country at large more than 100000 teachers, out of 522,000, in the elementary schools, 19 years of age or younger, and that more than 50,000 had no schooling beyond the eighth grade. Indeed, out of ,000 teachers who enter our schools each September less than one-third are pre- pared to teach, and immature, unprepared teachers naturally go to the places that pay the lowest salaries-the rural and village schools.
 In education it is the man behind the text book that counts, just it is the man behind the gun in war. Hence, it is imperative that Alabama lay greater stress on the question of teacher training. We should insist that every teacher be high school graduate and that he, or she, have at least two years of professional training. Furthermore, in order that the rural schools may not be discriminated against, we should follow the example of some progressive states and pay bonus to the men and women who agree to teach in the country, To this end our normal schools must be better supported financially and better equipped for this great work of the nation--the directing of the young mind toward the paths of constructive citizen- ship. Statistics prepared by pr. Hart in his social survey of Alabama under the last ad. ministration showed that the per capita appro- priation for the teacher-training schools was lower than that of Auburn, the University or the agricultural schools and this situation must be reversed if in this state we are to wipe out illiteracy and ameliorate the general conditions of life.
 It is fortunate for the country that the Le- gionnaires have allied themselves with the edU- cators in this praiseworthy campaign. The ex- soldiers constitute body of picked men io America. They are our elite, and if they fight illiteracy as they fought the enemy in France the offensive may be considered as destined to a successful consummation.
 POINTED PARAGRAPHS
 From the Chicago News.
 Much that passes for patience is merely azi- ness.
 Why should tax collector have high opin- ion of human nature?