The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-03-13
COST OF EDUCATION
is A GREAT BURDEN
THERE is DANGER THAT 1T
MAY FINALLY RESULT
IN CURTAILMENT.

NEW YORK, N. Y.-The cost OF
modern education is becoming SO
great, the burden on the taxpayer is
so heavy, that unless some way is
found to deal with it there will be an
eventual curtailment of education and
free public education will be endan-
gered, according to the report OF the
Carnegie Foundation for the Advance
ment of Teaching.
Much of this burden is due to the
fact that the conception OF what
schools are for has changed, and there
is an attempt to teach the child lit
tie bit OF everything rather than give
a fundamental intellectual background.
The present day system OF educa-
ton has recalled its enormous ex-
pense, not wholly by reason OF its
efficiency, but partly by reason OF its
superhciality," says the report.
Many OF these forms of training
particularly vocational training, are
called educational forces. which should
be confined to trade schools OF which
there is a great lack Many Of the bus
mess and other courses in colleges
are delusive, for their subjects cannot
be taught III an academic way. Only
by separating fundamental training
for specialized training can this SUI
perhciality and expense be done away
with it is stated.
The cost OF public schools has risen
from S140,000,000 in 1890, to $1,000
100000 in 1920, the report shows, and
the cost OF salaries of teachers has
increased from S96000000 to $3.50,
100000. Enrolment in the public ele-
mentary schools has increased from
100000 to 100000 in that period
while the enrolment in high schools
has increased from 100000 to 2,000,-
600. National income and taxation
have also increased prodigiously in
that time.
The outstanding facts seem to be
these" the report states: while the
population has increased between 1890
and 1920 by about two-thirds, the
growth in the number of pupils at
tending the elementary schools in
creased approximately in the same
proportion, but the attendance upon
the high schools and the colleges
grew at rate many times faster than
that OF population; and that. while the
national income has also grown no
tably in these 80 years, the burden
laid upon the people OF the country
has enormously increased.
The simple fact is that municipali-
ties and states are finding the rising
cost of their educational budget a
most difficult and serious problem
The question of how to finance the
public system OF education in the face
of the other great demands made up
on these communities and states has
become today an acute question. There
can be no doubt that there is needed
for its solution a statesmanlike con-
sideration. both of the educational
needs and the possibilities, and of the
financial difficulties and burdens.
THE systems OF public education
both tax institutions and institutions
dependent upon tuition and endow-
ment-are facing a problem OF financ-
ing for which the money can be had
only if il can be shown that the re-
turn which the public is to get from
its school system justiies the expendi-
ture Hitherto the people of the Unit
ed States have accepted their school
system as an integral part of the dem
ocratic program. They still believe in
education, perhaps as fervently as
ever. They are becoming, however
somewhat critical as to whether the
system OF education for which they
are paying is justifying itself.
The introduction OF vocational
training into the high schools and the
acceptance Of the notion OF scientific
as the primary object OF the
college teacher have gone far to add
both tO the cost OF eoiliDT0ent and
the cost OF teaching"