Evening star., 1924-11-17
In TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

cfals and the communities to give II
their full attention. American Legion
posts ever Iywhere, except in the Dis
trict, have he'd themselves in readi-
ness to supply speakers for public
meetings in the cause OF education
and the fight against iiliteraCy. No
such activity has been manifested in
Washington. but parents and others
viii be admitted to visit any SChoo =,
especially on Tuesday and Thursday.
and TO attend the dedication cerC-
monies of two new buildings No
! American Legion speakers have here
been assigned. Possibly the fact that
| our schools are not under popular
control of the citizens may have
something to do with this lack of
! touch by the people: the control Hes
! in Congress, and what is needed may
/ be that Education week should be
| postponed in the District until De
cember. so that the statesmen who
most need to learn the school needs
of the District Will be within reach.
| That the District of Columbia is
! not an unfruitful field for educa-
tional work may be measured by the
most excellent and successful work
carried on in the Americanization
school, in charge of principal, Miss
Maud f. Alton, where annually there
are some 1900 aliens who are taught
English and the Fundamentals Of the
American democracy.
Not long ago Miss Alton and thf
staff Of enthusiastic teachers under
her set out to make a social surTey
beginning with the immediate cir
ity of the Capitol. The task proved
too appalling in volume and labor
and was abandoned after 81 homes
had been investigated. In those 97
homes were found 73 illiterates, Of
whom were attending school and
81. unable to read or write. wcre
making no effort to overcome their
ignorance. A full survey of Vas
ington has never been made, AND
since this survey referred to Vas
not confined to stun streets. its
possible a scloSures, If extended might
be startling. In 1920, there were il
the District 10000 homes: now there
are probably in excess Of 100. 600 The
teachers who have an inkling Of. To-
cal conditions are asking, when WILL
Congress provide for survey tof
gather reliable information of cor l
ditions under the very shad6W' OF
the Capitol?"
The United States census, reports
| that in 1920, the confessed TliterateS
| in the District numbered L1,5o9-6
per cent of the white and 5. per cent
showed that for the whole countr5
the per cent was four times what the
census had reported, hence in thc
District 1t is fair to compute the ac
tual number OF illiterates who can
not read q newspaper nor write q
sentence, are more than $4,000. OFT
about one out of every ten resident |
of the Federal Capital.
x + =
Conditions are slowly improvin 4
throughout the country. 1t is OF
of the great encourag ements tha n
while since 1870, the population haM
increased 1S3 per cent, school attend IA
ance has grown 4S0 per cent.
h gh schools the total enrolment INK
1850 was only 10 217. in 1890 or
2O2, ,965. while in 1928 it was 2,199.Ss
Thus the standards of general INTEL
gence are raised, and ii is more
a calamity today to remain untaugN
than 1t was so years ago. CompetB
tion is stronger against the unlcW
tered.
In 1900 the men who had achieved
success sufficiently TO be listed ~
Who's Who in America" had school, (
ing as follows: Common school j
72.S. But in 1923 the conditions had
changed so that ia per cent Nn-
stead of 72.S per cent? had a college
education; 141 per. cent high school
and only S.5 per cent merely q grade
school training.
The science and methods OF teach
Ing have advanced as have other
| sciences. Students become better
equipped to go on with their studies
after leaving school or college than
I was true generation ago. 1t is in
order that the public and parents
may appreciate this advance in the
efficiency OF the schools, as we'll as
the appalling need of taking up the
slack of illiteracy, that this week is
devoted to a special effort of "eX-
plotting" the subject of education.
! Copyright, 1924, by Paul V. Collins