Evening star., 1933-09-03
FREE EDUCATION
I SEEN THREATENED.
N. {. A. Official Cites Many
Stresses System Faces in
Economic Crisis.
BY the Associated Press

4y the Associated Press.
September. calling the children back
10 school. this year means more and
deeper wrinkles for educators who
think this country's free education
system is threatened, if not doomed.
There is very serious question as
to whether our free education system
can continue" Belmont Farley Of the
National Education Association publ
cation division, said yesterday.
The schools have something more to
fight than the economic crisis. Op-
ponents of free education have become
so vocal in their demands that parents
pay at least for high school education
that the people of the country may pe
compelled to definite decision soon.
only 55 per cent Of those eligible
for high school education were III the
schools last year. though high school
enrolment was fast rising. Elimlna-
tion of child labor under the codes
will this year send it shooting higher
Education costs must increase one
third or one-hali in the next decaoe
or the system go by the boards.
"Certainlv there is no immediate
prospect of increase. The recovery
program for the schools, tax-supported
institutions, will inevitably lag two or
three years behind recovery in private
industry"
Findings to Be Announced.
An Emergency in Education" Joint
Commission of the National Education
Association, and the department OF
superintendent, Farley said, is near
ing the close of an extended study on
financing education and soon will an
nounce its findings and Recommended
tons
THE whole situation just about sim
mers down to this" Farley said. "The
country itself is going to have to oe,
eide whether the free educational IDEAL
of our founding forefathers can go on:
Fifteen thousand fewer school teach-
ers than last year, Farley said, this
September will start teaching perhaps
400 5000 more school children than last
year.
They will Go it, he emphasized. on
lower salaries, fewer supplies, and WIN
deteriorating plant equipment, unoer
the encouragement Of having personally
to pay higher prices for what they. puy.
Please don't nlisinterpret me, ne
eaid. Teachers are patriotic. and Will
do everything in their power TO 1urtheF
the recovery program OF the N. X. A
But their own incomes are reduced.
and they have no chance to have them
raised this year-perhaps not for two
wears or more. At the same time prices
are boosted. and they are inevitably
pinched between upper and neither mill
stone.
IN prosperity days, tine average
teachers salary, Jumping IN Slu'oou-a-
wear or over superintendents, on down
TO country school teachers getting s3oo
a year or less, was 81 400 a year.
Many Without Pay.
Decreases have taken place so fast
there is no comparable figure. Cuts, as
a matter CT Board Of Education policy,
have ranged from per cent to 90 per
cent. AS a matter Of practice, many
teachers are not getting pald at all
IF this new deal works and prosperity
returns bringing better wages IN indus
trv, ambitious teachers will. OF course,
desert their profession for industry:
That happened during the World War.
Such an hegira. Farley pointed out,
would mean a cut in competence. But
there is remote likelihood OF shortage
IN teachers supply.
Harry Hopkins, the relief admins
traitor. recently announced that 80
States had reported 10000 unemployed
teachers. a figure which Farley called
N. E A. headquarters.
On the school plant situation, Farley
gave the following figures:
Four thousand badly Eeeded rural
school buildings have not been con-
structed.
$4,000 rural school districts have not
been able to make the minor repairs
necessary to keep buildings from
deterioration.
100000 children last year attended
school part time for lack OF school
room.
$4,000 children were housed in tenn
AS examples of the cuts In school
services he cited:
KindergartenS have been eliminated
or curtailed in ITO cities.
Art instruction has been removed or
cut in 100 cities.
Music has been completely or par
TALLY dropped in $50 cities,
Health education has been reduced
in 135 cities.
Home economics and manual arts
have suffered retrenchment in i45 cities.
CruX of Problem.
But the cruX of the education problem.
sharply precip;tated into the September
picture By the elimination of child labor
in industrial codes, Farley said, is this:
What is going to happen to the
high SCHOOL,"
There's where he expected the big
increase of enrolment Normally. the
couptrys school system has been in
creasing by about 100000 pupils each
year. much of it due to the added
number going to high school. Where
total enrollmentS have increased Z per
cent since 1926, high schools have in
creased 43 per cent
This year. Farley estimated. 100000
children under IS might be sent back
to school directly by the codes.
AS an indirect result of the codes. he
expects as many over IS as under 16 to
come trooping back to the school room.
on the theory that if an employer is
forced to pay a minimum wage that
would hire an adult. he will hire an
adult.