The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1925-09-15
FOUCATION system Of
us. WORLDS LARGEST
GIANT INSTITUTION IN WHICH
rUFNTY- FIVE MILLION BOYS
AND GIRLS NOW STUDY.
EMPLOYS 100000 TEACHERS

v,,ue of School Property Is Five
billion Dollars, and Yearly Operat-
mo Cost of Half That Much for Its
Hundred Thousand Buildings.
The clang of 100000 school bells is
,eyerberating through the land Their
echoes reach city and town, hamlet
and countryside. Needing the sum
mons 100000 boys and girls, young
men and Young women-nearly one
5arrth the entire population OF the ma
.oo-are dropping vacation play and
cong back to their studies.
The United States has the largest,
most comprehensive educational sys-
Ten, in the world But it is doubtful if
one person in ten thousand has any
rea1 idea of the immense scope of the
American school system, of the vast
amount of money invested in it, OF
Me extent of the personnel required to
o,erate if of the dollars and cents it
takes to maintain 1t.
Figures at best tend to dry reading,
4 hit here are some, given In round
Il numbers, that may startle the reader
nv their very hugeness, and give tax
oavers rough idea Of the immense
size Of the institution they have Great
I'd and are maintaining by their con-
ributions:
Figures Not Guess Work.
Five billion dollars is the physical
value of the school properties in the
United States.
More than two billion dollars is the
cost OF this educational system each
wear and "a per cent of this amount
is raised by taxation.
Approximately 100000 teachers are
required to conduct the education OF
s the 25000,000 pupils who attend school
and college.
Nearly 100000 boys and girls are
graduated each year from the schools,
With an educational equipment valued
in dollars and cents at from $500 to
$4,000, depending on the line OF study
and the extent it has been pursued.
These astounding figures are not
gness work. They are based on data
@refully gathered by the bureau OF
4 education OF the Department OF the
Interior at Washington, which an
nuallv spends half million dollars
10 collect statistics on the educational
systems of the nation.
Here is a $5,000,000,000 institution,
With perhaps 50000,000 stockholders
Tor there are at least that many tax
pavers in the country-paying $2,00O,-
100000 a year to keep 1t gong ana
hiring nearly 100000 employees to
turn out educated boys and girls
eyentually to become American citi-
zens.
The growing popularity of education
in this country is best attested perhaps
bv college statistics. In 1900, Is years
ago, there were about 175,000 students
in colleges and universities. Last year
there were, roughly, 725,000. An in
crease of more than half million stu
dents in rs years speaks volumes tor
the growing demand of higher edu-
cation.
5000 Public School Systems.
There are 5000 public school sys-
tens in the various states, Pennsylva
MIA leading with 326, and the number
OF school houses runs close to /O,OOO.
OF the 25,000000 children going to
school nearly 100000 may be found
in these school houses an average OF
l32 days a year. The other 5000, O0O
attend private and parochial schools
The greatest private school system
maintained in the United States IS
that operated by the catholic churcn,
which has about 200 schools and -
preparatory institutions and colleges.
In these it educates 100000 children
year at cost of $60000,000.
In addition to the parochial' schools
Of the catholic church there are IN
round numbers about LOO other pri-
vate schools, running from klndergaT-
tens to preparatory schools, which
have about 100000 pupils.
OF the institutions for higher educa,
ton, that is beyond the high school
stage, there are about 800 in the Unit
ed States. These have physical prop
erty valuation Of $3.50, 600.
For instance, there are ITO law
schools, with an enrolment OF lo,0oo
pupils; Us medical schools, with 20
600 pupils: 100 theological schools
with $4,000 pupils; so schools OF phar,
macy. with 5000 pupils; 90 dental
schools, with 10000 pupils.
Then there are $50 schools and col
legcs for the training OF school teach
ers, with $4,000 young men and wo-
men studying in them. And there are II,
lJ50 nurses schools, with an enroll,
mnet OF 10000 Then there are 9OO
schools, or institutions, for the educa-
ton.
rs Per Cent for Education.
Both the amount invested in the ma
tons educational system, $5,0OOoOo'-
700, and the amount necessary to oper-
ate it each year, $2,000,0O00O0 comes
from the taxpayers of the land: In
TACT, very nearly rs per cent OF all
taxes paid by the average man or wo-
man, including city, county and stare
taxes, are used for purposes OF educa-
ton. New York city alone each year
spends $7S,OOO,OOO on its public
schools
Such is the size and scope OF Uncle
Sans educational institution. 1t has
cost him billions of dollars. 1t costs
1nore billions each year to MAINTAIN
put It is worth the money, Judging
nom its constant growth.