Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-01
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

The youth OF the land, about to re-
turn to schools and colleges, must not
run away with the idea that they alone
are education-minded, for with the re-
opening OF the schools there are some
hundreds OF thousands of groWn-ups
who also will tuck their books and tab
let's under their arms and set the
youngsters a trying pace to keep up
with in the education endurance con-
test.
One OF the foremost educators in this
country, recently made Secretary of the
Interior, with jurisdiction over the
United States Bureau of Education, Dr.
Ray Lyman Wilbur, gives the sage but
surprising decision that youth had no
advantage in learning over maturity,
but rather when a man of as and
youth of 20 are set to wrestle with any
problem that constitutes an element in
education the Older man, because of his
experience and judgment, will more
thoroughly master it, just as the psy-
biologists have been trying to tell us.
The net result is much more bene-
fetal than appears at first glance, for
as the attendance of parents in school
for adult education increases, it has
been found that the attendance in day
schools also increases. The interest of
parents to gain education inspires them
in school.
Here also is direct and gratifying
answer to the question What will the
American worker do with his increased
leiSure?" The records show that much
of this leisure is being devoted to study.
The records also show that men and
women after reaching the age of 40 or
so years are inclined to make a transit
ton from interests that are largely
Nh rtrNnl 70 hot 1nrr rI,y
mental and spiritual, thus salvaging
their old age from one OF the greatest
tragedies of life-a fag-end of living
that is uninteresting and peSsimistic.
This "adult education" is one of the
blessings that came to us out of the
World War. The shock of the war so
aroused men and women, l.. r. Alder
man, Federal specialist in adult educa-
ton, explains, that they began to look
for a means to prevent such a calamity
from ever happening again. 1t was
more clearly seen that people cannot
by any machinery or form of govern
ment exonerate themselves from re-
sponsibility for the acts of their gov
eminent. When mistakes are made by
the rulers the people must suffer the
consequences. This concept forces the
conclusion that education of the whole
people is most important Men saw
that rank and promotion in any military
organization depend much upon educa-
ton. The war revealed the fact that a
very large number of men OF military
age were untitled for general military
assignment because of the lack of abil-
ity to read ordinary communications or
to convey information by writing. From
the National Academy Of Sciences came
the shocking announcement that about
one-fourth of the American Army were
not functionally literate.
The World War also revealed anew
that America is made up of many ma
tioralities, that there were sections OF
this country which were essentially
foreign in language, customs and ideals.
Assimilation had not gone on as fast
as it was generally believed. Citizens
generally saw that if this country was
to enter into any action that required a
united people it was necessary to asslmi-
late this large number of foreigners.
The alien himself saw that in order to
carry on in this country it was necessary
for him to become naturalized. The de-
mand for instruction for our alien popu-
lation received great stimulus. The
movement was called by the general
name of Americanizatisn.
Almost every large community eStab-
lished classes for preparing the foreign
born for American citizenship. To these
classes, where the alien was taught to
read and write the English language.
came also native-born citizens. The
ERIN characterization" evidently did not
fit, and to avoid its use the term adult
education" which has much broader
significance and was well known in
Europe came gradually into general use
Adult education was accepted as
challenge by many grown people. Adult
q SLOGAN
tinued education. Numerous organiza-
tons adopted it as their objective. New
organizations were formed to promote
various phases of education for grown
men and women.
Information compiled from question
naireS sent to the various State depart
mentS of education show that &c States
have enacted legislation to provide edu-
cation for adult foreigners, and 25
States have enacted legislation to pro-
vide education for adult native Hitter
ateS. New York led all the States in
the enrolment in adult classes last year
with $4,000. California ranked second
with an enrolment of 5680l; Massachu-
sets third with 25036. and Ohio fourth
with 24,596. New York had 10 institu
tons giving training courses to teachers
of adult classes. California four such in
stitutions, Illinois three, while the Dis
JllCI VI SOluIilDld, MASSACHUSETTS,,
igan, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island
had two each.
Modern life demands education. and
employers in industry are selecting an
educated force of employees to prevent
accidents and the slowing down of pro-
duction. Under the conditions of mod
ern manufacturing one employe depends
upon the work of other employees, and
all are apt to be managing a compli-
Gated machine, so that the education of
each employe is of vital concern not
only to the employer but to every other
employe of the system.
In our complicated age, with the very
rapid substitution of mechanical devices
for manual labor, it is found that the
uneducated man finds it most difficult to
become rehabilitated in new employ
ment
During the past two years there has
been marked activity on the part of two
national organizations which have as
their main purpose the promotion of
adult education. The department of
adult education of the National Educa-
ton Association has held several meet
ingS which have given an encouraging
picture OF what is now taking place In
the elementary education of adults. The
American Association for Adult Educa-
ton has held two national meetings, has
sponsored lines of research, and has
fostered the publication of a number of
valuable studies concerning the whole
field of adult education.
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