Evening star., 1925-01-01
25,O0O,ODO ATTEND
AMERICAN SCHOOLS
Unprecedented Progress in
Education During Past Year
Reported by Tigert.

Education in American schools
showed unprecedented progress dur
ing 1924, with more real achievement
taking place than in any year yet re-
corded, John J. Tigert, Commissioner
OF Education, declared in a statement
today.
The statement follows;
The year 1924 has continued the
unprecedented progress of education
which this country has witnessed
since the World War. 1t marked more
real achievement than any year yet
recorded.
Accurate statistics on national
scale are, of course, not yet available.
The Bureau of Education on the basis
of past experience and such data as
II has at its disposal can offer esti-
mates which can be relied upon as
reasonably accurate.
25.OOo 900 Pupils.
During the year there were en-
rolled in the public. elementary and
high schools 25,0O0,OOO pupils, of
whom about 3,500.O0O were in the high
schools; there were enrolled in the
private and parochial schools about
1000, 900, with 500 600 in the secondary
schools; universities and colleges en-
rolled over 100000 students; the
teachers colleges and normal schools
enrolled 100000 pupils, of whom about
40 900 were students in the secondary
stage; business colleges and CONNER
cial schools enrolled 350,00 students.
The average daily attendance in
public. high and elementary schools
was in the vicinity of 20,7OO.000 pupils
These enrollments can be best appre-
ciated when compared with the year
1900 for example. In the "a years
since 1900, attendance in the public
elementary schools has increased A
per cent; in the public high schools,
574 per cent; in the colleges and uni
verslties. 272 per cent and in the
teachers colleges and normal schools,
PA per cent
Very naturally, these enormous in
creases in attendance have involved a
corresponding increase in cost, par
ticularly in view of the fact that by
far the largest percentage of increase
is in the higher institutions and sec
ondary schools. where costs are, of
necessity, much greater than IN the
elementary schools 1t is estimated
that the educational bill in 1924 Will
amount to $1,000 100000.
Much Building Noted.
In the field of rural education,
where progress has always been slow
est, advance has been marked along
many lines during the year just closed.
There has been a tendency to Supplant
unframed and non-orofessional admin
iStrative officials with those who have
been fitted by special training for their
ras'r More academic and professional
pre- Daration has been demanded. More
thar % per cent of the States raised
their standard for certificates during
the year. Rural teachers salaries in
creased on an average OF 500, and one
State fixed d minimum of $1,000.
The length of the rural school term
was considerably increased, and there
was spending increase in aver
age daily attendance. In the neigh
horhood of 1000 school consultations
were made Expenditures for trans
pOrtation Increased 100000 and
about 5000 one-room schools were
closed because of the coming of more
adequate consolidated schools
Public education in the cities was
marked by the most extensive build
ing program ever yet attempted. 1t
would be impossible to even estimate
at this time the amount of money
spent during the year for buildings
which are now completed or in the
process Of erection. Los Angeles
made available by bond issue during
the year about s35,000,000 for school
buildings, following upon s16.O0O.OOO
issue in the previous year. One OF
the outstanding features of progress
in the city schools has been the rapid
transformati tion from the old S-4 tradi-
tional system to the 6-3-3 and 6-6
plans, providing for modern junior
high school. Quite as pronounced has
been the trend of many cities toward
the work -study-play plan or platoon
type Of school organization. The end
of the year finds 70 cities in % States
with one or more schools organized
on the platoon plan. This tendency is
peculiarly marked among the large
cities. such as Detroit, Pittsburgh,
Birmingham and Akron