Evening star., 1935-09-08
YEAR OF PROGRESS
IN SCHOOLS SEEN
Forums Will Play Major
Part in Education of
y Adults.
BY ]. w. STUDEBAKER.

United States Commissioner OF Education.
Information reaching the Federal
Office OF Education indicates that the
school year 1935-1936 will be year
of recovery and progress in education.
Schools. like other activities, are emerg-
ing from the economic crisis. Many
new attempts to adapt education in
order that it may better serve its GEN.
tral purpose. making good citizens. are
being reported to the Office of Educa-
ton from all over the country.
Reports of more than $50 forums
have been received. There will be
more this coming year. Forums afford
one of the most practicable methods
of education in citizenship for adults.
And when they are operated by pub
lic-School system they reach large
numbers of people. We have naively
believed in the past that high-school
education would equip our citizens to
discharge their public responsibilities
intelligently. But new issues come up
constantly that were never heard of
in our high-School days Hence, the
growing need for adult civic education,
in style acceptable to adult minds.
Youth Problem TO Stay.
Despite economic recovery the youth
problem is on our national doorstep
and is there to stay for some time to
come. The Federal Office of Education
has been working on this problem for
more than a year. Using a survey de-
veloped by the Office of Education, one
Midwestern city recently studied its
1000 young people 16 to "a years of
age out of school. This community
found that 1900 of the 1000 seeking
work were unemployed. Such condi-
tions are dangerous to the future of
the country and must De corrected as
soon as possible.
To assist communities in solving
their youth problem the Federal Ofhce
of Education is doing two things:
First, it has prepared survey form
which communities are using to dis
cover the nature and extent of the
problem; and second, it has combed the
country for methods of meeting the
employment, education, recreation and
guidance needs of this group. Promis-
ing methods will soon be made avail
able to communities everywhere
through a series of publications.
Record in High Schools.
At least one in four Americans is
in the great army of peace that starts
back to school as student or teacher
in September. Elementary schools, in
cluding kindergartens, will enroll
about 100000. This number, fol-
lowing the trend of birthrate statistics,
is slightly smaller than last year.
The high school enrolment Of about
100000, Will be a record-breaker.
College enrolment, boosted by Fed
eral aid to needy students, will exceed
100000. More than 100000 boys in
the c. c. c. will voluntarily enroll for
courses. The number Of adults study
ing is difficult to gauge.
We used to say that woman's
work is never done. That is truer Of
education today than of woman's
work.
The new educational program for
the c. C. c. will formally begin on
october /. Last year n per cent OF
the C. c. C. enrollees voluntarily
registered for education. This year
we expect a greater proportion. And
we will be ready to give them better
educational opportunities. Study out
lines for Is short courses in for
estry, cooking, agriculture. auto me-
chanics, and similar practical subjects
have been prepared by the Federal
once of Education and are now being
rushed through the Government
Printing Once for early distribution to
the camps.
Recent passage by Congress Of the
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