Imperial Valley press., 1922-01-26
SCHOOL MATTERS
AT CHAMBER
LUNCHEON
Superintendent and EH-Supey-
infendent Set Forth Some Of
Needs of VALLEY


c. Coe was first speaker at the
Chamber Of Commerce luncheon yes
terday, directing his remarks more
to u resume Of duties in connection
with the administration of the office
than to discussion Of plans and
problems in the schools of the county
He stated that he has not been able
to cover the field to the extent that
would warrant q free discussion Of
educational conditions at this time
but that some time in the future he
will be glad to do so should opportu-
nifty offer.
The key note of Mr. Goes address
was "the helpfulness of others as
the duties of school superintendents
are administered. He asked for the
close cooperation Of the Chamber of
Commerce in educational matters Of
the county and paid high tribute to
the organization as representative
body of citizens.
A. p. Shibley followed Mr.. Coe in
short but interesting address
which set forth many facts worthy
of consideration. Referring to the
speech of MIR. Blight recently de-
livered before gathering of Masons
in Ell Centre, he stated that the mere
III sety to read and write constituted
the difference between literacy and
illiteracy in making up the records
of the young men examined for war
service. His conclusions were that
the figures given by Mr.. Blythe, as
representing the per centage of illit-
cracy, did not fully measure up tht
real state. California, according to
late statistics, has 95,522 illiterate
adults. Kindly bear in mind" he
said, that very meager education
changes one from the class of ths
illiterates to that of literates in gov.
eminent records"
Prof. Shibley says that in the
matter Of education, the people of
our nation are the sixth grade; i.a
'if the education of the people of the
United States were averaged, we
would rank on a level with our six
grade in the public schools" 'Do
you feel that the boys and girls OF
our sixth grade in the public schools
have acquired sufficient knowledge
of history, civics and kindred sub
Jects to make them competent pros
pective voters, to settle such ques-
tions as to whether they shall vote
Democratic or Republican ticket.
decide whether we shall enter an
Association of Nations, whether we
shall amend our National or State
Constitution in this or that respect
and the many other questions that
shall in the future come to us? ?" The
speaker set forth the danger to our
country and her institutions if we re-
main a nation of sixth graders, and
spoke of the Towner-Sterling bill as
constructive measure which will help
to bring about a higher standard of
education in the United States.
Locally, we should keep our schools
only to the BEST" he said: Imperial
county should reorganize her system
to permit Of the establishment of
Junior high school and Junior col
-'ege." These steps are being taken in
most of the strongly progressive edu-
cational communications of California
according to Mr.. Shibley. To this end,
he recommended that the committee of
education of the Chamber of Com
merce, or special committee ap-
pointed for the purpose, take under
consideration the establishment of
these two new departments as part
of the county school system.