Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-22

to ascertain the details. DR.. Peter
A. Speek of the Library of Congress
made an investigating tour Of the
country and his report, under the
title Of "a Stake in the Land" is
an eye-opener. For example (page
1881 he says:
1.-THE following facts indicate the ex-
tent of parochial schools in Nebraska:
Foreign language schools are To-
Gated in 50 counties of Nebraska.
There is total of 262 schools, in
which 1t is estimated that 10000 chill
dren receive instruction in foreign lam
guages, chiefly German. - . OF these
379 teachers in private schools, give
instruction in Danish, s in Polish, IA
in Swedish and 357 in German. About
100 Of the German teachers are like
wise ministers in the German Luz
theran parish, where the school Is To-
Gated. The county superintendent of
the SO counties in which the foreign
language schools are located reported
that in only a few cases do these
schools give the equivalent of the
eighth grade public schools. For the
most part, such a school fits pupils for
the sixth grade of the public schools"
In some parts, there are no public
schools in the county, all children be-
ing attendants at parochial, foreign
language schools. At Seward, Nebr.,
the superintendent reported:
German has never been taught in
our schools German Lutheran as an
end, but as means to an end. We
could not teach the old folks English,
and in order to allow the children and
parents to worship together, we taught
the children the German language.
I'm Lincoln, Nebr., where Germans
control the school board, they ordered
public schools closed two months a
year, so as to enable the children to
go to German parochial school,"
In North Dakota, not only German
children were taught in German, but
all children of whatever nationality
were so taught German in the lower
grades at least-Bohemians, Scandi-
navians and Americans.
Immediately after the war, there
sprang up in many cities. including
Washington, AmericaniZation schools.
1t was found untrue that adult immi.
grants could not be taught English. In
the first year, 1919, in Washington's
Americanization School, there We're
40 students in the day and evening
schools. Last year, the number was
2,080-not all enrolled at one time,
but In the course Of the year. Now
they fill to overlooking the three-story
school on the corner of Tenth and H
streets, and classes run day and eve
ming, covering not only languages, but
all the regular studies of a school
course, fitted to the adults and chill
dren attending. There are all ma
tionalities, all languages and all sorts
Of prejudices at the start, but within
a few months all students learn Eng
lish, so that they speak it in classes.
Mothers come with their babies and
the latter are cared for in the kinder
garten, while the mothers sit in
classes. Motion pictures for classes
supply topics for English practice.
Graduates and students unite in
keeping up delightful library. and in
publishing a creditable school paper
For such mothers as cannot leave
home, certain guidance Is given in the
homes.
Why should there be any question
as to the possibility of teaching
adults? At meeting last year OF the
American Association for Adult Edu-
cdtloH, LIZ. =. LIZ AAoA hutnS v. SoA4
bia University gave a report of his
extensive investigation of this matter.
His test of capacity to learn new
subject was made in teaching Espe-
ranto to four distinct groups of stu
dents, arranged in classes according
to age Of the students.
Group III to is years-made go
per cent accomplishment.
Group II-17 to 10 years-made IS
per cent accomplishment.
Group HIPS to 30 years-made 80
per cent accomplishment.
Group IV-30 to 80 years-made 81
per cent accomplishment.
I'VE see from these findings" says
DR.. Alderman. specialist In adult edu.
cation, United States Bureau of Edu-
cation, that Group Nv ages 80 to 80
years. made progress ~ per cent