Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-22

~ against the most menacng foe Of
the race, ignorance. In the cur.
rent fortnight more than q, $4,000
American boys and girls will enroll in the pub
Tic schools Of the Nation ready to do battle
with the ancient enemy. Upon hcw well they
WELD their mental swords and shields will de-
pend not only their own future, but also that
of their country and in no small measure the
future Of the whole world
1t is worth while, therefore, to give thought
at this time to this tremendous undertaking,
constituting, as it does, the Nations most inn
portant job. Affecting the very life Of the
Republic, public education has far more POI
tent influence upon the future than the most
striking industrial, commercial and cultural
achievements Of mankind, for it is the we'll
spring of them all. And on all sides there are
many proofs that the public today is more
keenly alive to the responsibility involved and
determined to meet it in full than in any pc
Rod of the past.
It is no mere accident that has more than
doubled the cost Of public education in the
United States within the last decade while
the increase Of enrolled pupils was only IS per
cent. According to estimates of the Federal
Bureau of Education the sum required this
year will be In excess of $2,2120000 00 This
figure does not include private and parochial
schools and colleges. The enrolment this year
Is expected to be about $500, 500. L. 1920
there were 21578,3l6 children enrolled in the
public schools of Continental United States
and the tota: expense Of maintaining the schools
for the first time passed the billion-dollar mark,
specifically 81 .036, Isl, 209.
The enormous increase in expenditures does
not in any way imply extravaganza, for unusual
demands upon the public Golfers have been i'm =
perative II the schools were to be brought to
anything like Q proper state Of efficiency. In
common with all building, the construction OF
needed school facilities had to wait during the
war years and the period Immediately ensuing.
Efforts have been made also to bring the salary
Of the often underpaid molder Of the mind
Of youth, the public school teacher, to decent
level
IMPROVEMENT in methods of many kinds
and new educational elements made neces-
eary by the increasing completely Of modern
life have further added to the expense. But
II one will divide the total cost of the American
public school system by the number Of boys
and girls enrolled he will discover that for
the Nation at large the annual cost to the
State Of providing the priceless boon Of an ele-
mentary and high school education figures out
at less than $87 per child even in this ex-
pensive era Considering the potentialities this
outlay would hardly seem to come under the
head Of prodigality.
Statistics cited by Frank D. Boynton Of
ithaca. NJ Y, president of the department Of
superintendent of the National Education As
ISOLATION show that only one and one-half per
cent of the national income is devoted to the
cause Of education He says:
According to Federal authority We are spend
ing out Of each earned dollar 24l2 cents for
necessities, 20 cents for luxuries IL cents for =
investment, 8la cents for crime, AZ cents for
Government, local. State and National; waste,
II cents; miscellaneous, 1919 cents educational,
112 cents, and religion and philanthropy, 7h
mills. Without taking any Of the joy out Of
life, is it not possible to double the amount
expended for education and religion twice by
. reduction of the waste and still be long
way from an economic breakdown from these
two cauSes?"
There is a way ct assessing the worth while
ness Of every expenditure and educatiosa is no
exception to this rule. One important thing
1t has bought has been q sharp decrease IN illit-
eracy. So short time ago as 1870 actually 40
per cent one-fifth, Of Americans were illiterate.
According to the last census, the percentage
had been brought down to s, and so consistent
was the descending curve through the years
there is every reason for belief that today it
is no higher than per cent. This Of course,
Is the fundamental achievement of public edu-
cation and it shows that ignorance is definitely
In retreat, but there are numerous oths- ways
in which public education is exerting its benefi-
cent influence upon our civilization.
President Hoover has said, 1.-THE progress Of
the race is upon the marching feet of healthy
instructed children" and the recent achieve :.
ments Of the American public school system
have been summarized by Roger w. Babson.
well known economist, as follows:
During the past 20 years the public schools
have practically eliminated illiteracy and ma
terially raised the general level of intelligence
They have supervised the health and safetv Of
the Nations children to a much greater ex-
tent than ever before and to their great good.
They have absorbed the great food of immi-
grafton which inundated the country and kept
1t American. Through courses in vocational
education they have prepared young people for
specific trades and have increased the earning
power Of those thus educated Our great adj