Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-28

menace WHICH now CIalleIlSeS Tie dI-
tention of the entire world, is no new
problem. Although the present crucial
conditions more seriously impertl the
prosperity of the Nation than at any
recent time, the United States suffers
from unemployment not only as an cpl
demic but also as a chronic complaint.
The Committee on Recent Economic
Changes of the Presidents Committee
on Unemployment in non-agricultural
pursuits in 1927 was 2,055,000. Even in
years noted for their general prosperity
and business activity, such as 1920,
1923 and 1926, this committee of expert
economists found "a persistent and
large volume of unemployment"
Children Suffer DOubIy.
This situation offers an interesting
paradox, for while many persons who
should be at work cannot find jobs,
about an equal number who might
well be in school are employed in gain
full occupations. Children suffer doubly
when unemployment strikes the family.
On the one hand, enforced idleness for
the father may send children into in
dustry when they should be in school.
AT the same time. the destroyed or de-
pleted family income may lead to NAL
nutrition, poor housing, lack of medical
care, and bad social conditions which
may handicap the child for all his
future life.
The best estimate that can be made
Of the extent of child labor in the
United States at the present time in
dicates that If children of school age
were relieved from wage earning and
given the educational opportunities en-
joyed by their more favored compan-
ions, some 100000 jobs would be opened
up to relieve the present situation. In
short, setting aside the present crisis,
there are normally more children at
work than there are unemployed adults
who are seeking work
27,7OO,OOO in School.
It is desirable to indicate briefly the
basis on which the foregoing statement
Is made. No statistics for gainfully en-
ployed persons of nationwide char
acter are available for a more recent
year than 1920, when the fourteenth
census returns were collected. Pending
the complete returns of the 1880 census,
It is necessary to make estimates in
round numbers which will furnish
Der of employed children in this
country.
There were in the United States in
1928, the last year for which reliable
estimates are available, 81 100000 chill
dren. This includes all those who have
passed their fifth birthday and who
have not yet reached their eighteenth
birthday. OF these 81 100000 children,
25,000,000 are enrolled in public ele-
mentary and secondary schools. In adj
dition to the public school enrolment,
parochial and private schools enroll
2,500, 900 more. Special schools, such as
Indian schools, industrial schools for
delinquents and State schools for the
deaf, blind and subnormal, claim an adj
ditional 10000
OF our 81 100000 children, therefore,
some 27,700,000 are enrolled In school,
although many of these are consistent
wage earners and are in regular attend
ance for only fraction of the full term.
This means that some 100000 are not
enrolled in elementary or secondary
schools. How many of this number are
engaged in gainful employment and how
many are out of school for other rea-
sons it is impossible TO say with high
degree of accuracy. Nevertheless, it is
desirable to attempt an approximation.
Reasons for NOn-attendance.
These are the four chief reasons why
children may not be enrolled in public
or parochial schools Of less than college
grade:
/. Younger children may not be en-
rolled because suitable schools are not
aNdlidp1e, UeCduSe d1en PdIeuIS 0o HOI
care TO send them, and because they
have not yet reached the age of COM
pulSory attendance.
q A small number of delinquent and
defective children are not in the public
schools. Some of these are in special
institutions; others are at home.
3. High-school graduates under 10
years of age may be either in college or
ut work. In this article boys and girls
who are high-school graduates are not
included in the group of gainfully en-
ployed children.
4. Many children are out of school be-
cause they are gainfully employed or
because they are seeking gainful en-
ployment.
In the absence of comprehensive sta
tistics we must attempt to determine the
size Of the fourth group by subtracting
from the total number of children out
Of school those comprised In the first
three groups.
Entrance Age Lowered.
In spite of the fact that kindergar-
tenS are growing in popularity and that
the general trend Is to lower the COM
pulsory age for entering school, there
are still goodly number of young chill
dren who are not yet entered in schools.
The 8, 8, z, and year oldS in the
United States number some 100000,
Of whom approximately 12,100,000 are
enrolled In private or public schools.
This means that about 100000 young
children are out of school because they
have not reached the age at which
school attendance is compulsory. The
number of children older than years
who are out Of school for this reason
is negligible. Most States fix or Z
years as the latest time for entering
school.
The process used to determine how
many young children have not yet en-
tered school will not be described in
detail. 1t is based upon statistics of
enrolment by grades, the distribution
Of children of various ages among this
enrolment and the age distribution Of
children not enrolled in schools
The number Of juvenile delinquents
In special institutions in 1928 was re-
ported by the United States Census Blu
reau at $1,000. The White House Con-
ference on Child Health and Protection
reports about 1900 totally blind chill
dren out of school. Estimates on SINH
lar groups of deaf. seriously crippled
and feeble-minded children would bring
the total to perhaps 100000 children
who are so seriously handicapped or
delinquent that they are neither en-
ployed nor enrolled in schools of any
kind.
Summary of EnrOIlments.
The high schools of the country are
graduating nearly 500 900 boys and girls
every year. Studies of individual States
and cities indicate that somewhat more
than one-third Of these are under 10
years Of age. We may fairly assume
that not many more than 10000 high
school graduates are less than IL
years old
We may summarize the preceding
analysis in this brief table:
Children s to II years Of age. 3io00,o0C