The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-02-29
Che.
American
% Legion
fCopy for This Department Supplied by the
American Legion News servrce.J
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ALL ILLfTERATES

The American Legion was the chief
factor in broadening the scheme for
adult education at the recent confer
ence, aimed at elimination of illiteracy,
held in Washington, declared DR.. Ho-
mer Seerley, president of the Iowa
State Teachers college. delegate to
the conference.
Chief among these recommendations
were those for provision Of more edu-
cation than now provided, particularly
In regard to matters of citizenship,
which will be brought about by an in
vestigation as to competency of every
native-born citizen as fully as the for
eign-born is examined. Doctor Seerley
said
Another feature of the conference
was the report of Group c." that sec
ton of the work in which the Ameri-
can Legion was most vitality interested.
Garland w. Powell, national director
of the Americanism commission Of the
Legion, clearly enunciated the aims Of
the conference at its inception when he
said, as chairman Of that group:
1--WE believe that the chief aim of
this conference is to provide that every
man and woman in the United States
who cannot already do so be taught to
speak, read and write the English Ian
guage. We further believe that the
first elements of citizenship should be
a part of such instruction"
On this was the principal work or
the conference founded. An attempt
had been made by elements Of the con-
ference to make combating of Hitter
acy apply only to native-born Ameri-
cans, but the Legion and other agen-
cies, cooperating in Group G, declared
against this, aiming to bring those of
foreign birth into the scope of the cam
paign.
The recommendation of the group in
which the Legion participated was that
the United States commissioner of edu-
cation be requested to appoint a COM
mittee of at least nine persons, with
professional experience in this field,
Group G of the illiteracy conference,
for the purpose Of reviewing the ma
terials submitted by, Group G of this
conference and forwarding the results
of their work to those engaged in illit-
eracy work in the United States. 1t
was further recommended that the
commissioner secure representatives
of the entire country on this commit
tee.
The report of the subcommittee Of
urged use Of certain principles in selec-
ton of textbooks for instruction. These
principles include texts that conform
to the ability of adult students; that
do not violate psychological principles
Of suggestion; that conform to accept
ed methods of teaching; such text
should contain fundamental items Of
information on health, food, hygiene
and sanitation with suggested texts
for specific groups of native-born illit-
crates, foreign-born illiterates and in
termediate and advanced texts for all
groups.
Consolidation of rural schools is
growing in favor, according to the re-
ports to the conference. One-room
schools are disappearing, data showing
that 1928 consultations were effected
in the school years of 1921-1922, with
IA states not reporting. At least four
of these states are known to be making
considerable progress in the work of
eliminating single small schools. In
some cases these are being improved,
not by removal to distant central To-
cation, but by natural growth in two
and three-roem schools, There were
1890 consolidated schools In the Unit
ed States in 1920. There are now APP
proximately $4,000 of such schools, and
decrease of $500 one-room schools is
noted In the three-year period.
All this has had a salutary effect on
the salaries of school teachers, result
ing, in turn, in higher mentality for the
teaching profession. Beginning of IL
literacy is traceable, in many in
stances, to rural schools where incom-
petent teachers and insufficient super
vision have prevailed.
The conference on illiteracy, called
by the Legion, was the first national at
tempt to settle on some means for
eradication of inability to read and
write the English language, much Of
which is to be found among illiterate
immigrants, and native-born negroes
and whites in certain sections of the
country. The Legion's part in calling
Of the conference was determined by
the national program of education, re-
Endorsed by every succeeding national
convention since the first meeting in
Minneapolis.