Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1924-03-01
Che.
American
o Legion
Copy for This Department Supplied by the
American Legion News servlce.j
PLAN IS TO REACH
ALL ILLITERATES

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 Or. Ho-
mer Seerley. president of the Iowa
State Teachers college. a 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 enuntiated the aims Of
the conference at its inception when he
said as chairman of that group:
I'VE 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
hrst elements of citizenship should be
a part OF such instruction"
On this was the principal work U1
the conference founded. An attempt
had been made by elements of the con-
ference to make combating of litter
acy apply only to natiye-born Ameri-
cans, but the Legion and other agen-
cies, cooperating in Group c. 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 com
mittee Of at least nine persons, with
/ professional experience in this field,
/ Group of the illiteracy conference,
/ for the purpose of reviewing the ma
/ terials submitted by Group C Of this
! conference and forwarding the results
/ of their work t. 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
this group on textbooks and materials
urged use Of certain principles in selec-
I ton of textbooks for instruction These
I 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 nativeborn illit-
crates, foreign-bOrn illiterates and in
termedate 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-room schools. There were
/ 1890 consolidated schools in the Unit
ed States in 1920. There are now APP
proximateIy $4,000 of such schools, and
a 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
/ hteracy is traceable. in many in
stances. to rural schools where incom-
& pEAEAt lCaAHNlc anu luSullJlEHL 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 Legions part in calling
OF the conference was determined by
the national program of education, re
Endorsed by every succeeding national
convention since tho erst meeting in
Minneapolis.
PInn Kiddie.knr Polo