The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1922-12-04
AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK.

Upon the subject OF education prcsumng 10 dictate any
plan system respecting IT, only say that view il as the
most important subject which people be engaged n
Abraham Lincoln.
Education that fails 1T and women to play an nicI-
gent commanding part as sovereign citizens IN great industrial
and political world fails of what in this day be its prime pur
pose is not enough TO have understanding and good education
among few what require good understanding and good
education We must in the understand the problems
with which deal democratic people. We advance
and develop democracy but little faster than advance
and develop the average level OF intelligence and knowledge
within the democracy That is the problem that conironts modern
That The problem that coniron democracy ITSELF
Samuel Gompcrs.
This American Education week The United States Bureau
Of Education the American Legion governors OF states and n
societies have joined IN plans Tor making the period
December 80 time for giving special attention education
The problem Of making schools efficient and OF more
widely extcnng the benefits Of the training which they provide
is which deeply concerns every citizen II is likewise national
problem.
productive Education pays Where intelligence regns the
land yields It's grains and fruits greater abundance the mines
ntensyey worked aud to greater advantage and The
various industrial and commercial enterprises scientific
ally successfully conducted Fertile SOIL tmbered land water
power and mineral deposits lie idle gnoranty squandeed
Franklin X Lane in one of his umnatiye addresses stated
ii the productive labor value OF tcrae less by only
50 day than that of the educated the
country losing $82500O000 year through leacy This
statement based upon the statistics of the 1919 which
shows that 55l6lo5 teates the United States
above years OF age The figures for 1920 show total OF
4ooO5 terate the United States These figures based
upon inquiry merely and only those cased terates who
are unable to write in their native language.
Many authorities have long thought that test of ability o
a
number of lteates in this country estimated by those
who had studied the problem that probably 20 cent of ou
population might be included in class which could be termed
near iteraes that is say those who could write their names
possibly few sentences but whose ability to handle the Ian
guage sufficient to make it vehicle OF real engnten-
ment
This estimate proved be well founded when more
satisfactory method evolved the urgency OF the great
For the intelligent mobilization OF the American army became
necessary the government know accurately whether our
soldiers could read orders and write orders before they could
assigned effective Our therefore gave
to million half who taken the first draft
every the Union and from class OF people
piece newspaper read and asked each OF them to
write short letter. When this test given it foind
that from 60 examined those who unable to read
and understand newspapers and write letters home amounted to
253 per We found therefore, that at the time of the World
probably 20 per cent Of population could not use the
English language vehicle for information expression
The progress that being made in the removal of litter
acy encouraging The Of 1920 shows that in the
10 preceding years the drop percentage of eracy was
from II per cent to In Il states tcacy during
decade and this increase the foreign
born The reduction in eracy during the past ~ years has
been mainly the rural districts but the number of iteraes in
rural districts still exceeds those in urban communities by
100000
means that he shut in behind the walls of medaevaism AS
Cora Wilson Stewart originator Of the moonlight schools OF Ken
tucy says Ignorance plowed furrow sragher nor
produced extra buhel OF corn to the acre. only intelligence
increase production the farm.
When from ilteracy in the country to literacy IN
city, find that the problem mainly that of the foreign
born Although only 35 per cent Of erates in the whole eoun
districts are foreign born This large group Of lerates
posed those who cannot write in language In addition to
this those unable to or speak
English language Both these groups off from the posi-
bly OF reading the newspaper and from enghtenng discussion
with neighbors the street The foreign
born the necessity Of thinking terms Of the
Old World He neither hear speak through Others
He may be exploited and undred because Of his helpless gno
N
The lerate foreigner must depend upon others for finding
for his labor Faulty distribution due large measure
to ignorance language and of industrial opportunity and
an overcowded trade may become crowded from year to
year In 1915 estimated that uskled labor represented
about so cent of the adult immigration to this country and
this group among which iteracy presumably most widely dis
trbued locating the large cities The increase in teac
among foreign born in urban districts during the 10
years that there has been little improvement this
situation The lerate and unframed the worker the less
ability realize the and the of his
lack of employment The lack Of knowledge of American
ways industrial operation and work requirements contributes
low wage earning and gives rise discomfort For these
reasons becoming imperative for educators for industrial
ager and for labor organizations themselves moe
directly with educational opportunities for adult workers.