Evening star., 1933-12-26
Depression and the City School.

The survey Of the depreSSionS efiecS
on the city school system during the
school year 1882. made public today
by George F. Zook, United states COM
missioner Of education, indicates that
the curtailment of funds for public
education in most American cities has
nroduced a two-fold problem. One diff
ficulty is being experienced now in the
shortage of teacher personnel, over
crowded class rooms, elimination OF
parts of the curriculum and the snort
eninp of the school year. Another Is
being created for the future, and re-
suits from the fact that in practlcally
all American cities capital improve
roents represented in new school build
ings have been dropped from municipal
budgets. This, of course, means future
overcrowding.
As for the situation resulting from
the sharp cuts in funds for main
tenance, Mr.. Zook points out That CITY
schools are manned by about $4,000
fewer teachers than in the previous
wear, although there has been an in
crease of a quarter Of million pupils
The appropriations for current expen-
ditures, or running expenses, have de-
creased by about $133, 100000. Teacher
salaries have been cut on an average
of IA per cent, although some OF the
I,i- M \
per cent In one out of every four
cities, the school term has been snoF'-
ened rs a measure of economy.
The reduction of $133 100000 in the
none. spent for education, Commls-
sioner Zook points out, does not take
into consideration the reduction in capi-
tai ou.lays. Everywhere school building
progrs.ms have been cut sharply or
elinlir ated altogether, and with such
reductions there has been a propor-
tionate reduction in money available
for repairs. The results of such cuts
are cumulative. They are apt TO show
themselves for many years to come in
inadequate educational facilities, unless
the Federal authorities now charged
with stimulating employment through
building are able to persuade the mu-
nicipal authorities of the advantages
that might lie in emphasizing school
building construction.
In the past year the National Coy
ernment has entered fields Of direct
aid to the States hitherto barred by
tradition and precedent. But now that
new activities have been undertaken
there is growing demand for the ex-
tension Of more direct aid to the States
and cities in meeting the educational
problems imposed by the depression.
The elimination of child labor by the
N. r. A.-one of the major accom-
plishments of the whole recovery pro-
gram-has at the same time served TO
place tremendous new burden on city
schools at a time when the schools
we're least prepared to meet them.
Along with the curtailment of local
funds for education, the money avail
able for Fairgrounds and other recrea-
tional activities has been reduced.
When children are released from the
mills and other forms of employment
in the cities, the task of providing them
with adequate educational and recrea-
tional facilities becomes heavier and
more important responsibility of the
community. Failure to meet it means
that eradication Of child labor is merely
the substitution of one form of evil
for another. A new public sentiment
must be created to save the schools
from further losses and to repair i'm
mediately the damage already suffered.