Evening star., 1946-09-08

/ ldCU
that our Nation as a whole has the
highest standard of living in the
world and one of the freest and
most liberal educational systems.
How many of us, however, are aware
that there are 100000 adults with
SO little schooling that they are
virtually illiterate: that there are
100000 children, aged to Is, not
in school, and that 100000 out of
100000 men examined in the
draft were rejected for educational
mental and physical deficiencies
which might have been largely pre-
vented by adequate education?
How can these things be in land
pledged to equal opportunity and
boasting that a fair chance to get
an education is the birthright of all?
| Inferior Schooling for Millions.
Whpt We believe and what we do
in American education may be two
very different things. The average
American citizen believes. and takes
for granted, that America is the
land of opportunity for all. Amer
lea has given to countless millions
from foreign lands a chance to
realize the best that was in them.
1t has given to boys and girls born
in the United States the opportunity
to go as far as their ability and
ambition will take them. However,
it is a shocking fact that millions
are still denied the equal oppor-
tunity that is the inalienable right
of every American citizen. The
schooling provided millions of Amer
ican children is so inferior and
brief that it leaves them unpre-
pared to meet the demands made
upon them as citizens and as indi-
viduals in the kind of a world in
which they find themselves.
There is difference in the
amount of money spent for the
education of children between the
best financed school system and the
poorest financed school system of
60 to l. There are classroom units
upon which $4,000 per year is spent,
while there are other classroom units
upon which S100 per year is spent
covering teachers salary, books and
equipment and all other expenses
of running a school. 1t is obvious
to anybody that a board of educa-
ton with only S100 with which to
buy schooling for a class of 80
children for a year can purchase
very little.
America has recently paid a
great price to maintain her place
as a free Nation. A partial listing
of the cost of our part in World
War II includes 1885, 900 of our youth
killed, 100000 crippled or impaired
for life, 100000 lives disrupted by
military service followed by prob
lens of readjustment to civilian
life, money cost of approximately
$400, ,0O0, 10000 During the war
years we neglected or restricted ac-
tivities on the home front. Over
shadowed by the war and more re-
Gently by problems of reconversion, |
educational problems and def
ciencies long characteristic of many
States have grown steadily worse.
hfSu LtdacfSu1p Nee0eO.
In the new era in which we are
living our country will need to ex-
ercise high economic, political and
moral leadership. The basis of such
leadership will be the physical and
mental qualities of the people of
the United States. 1t is the people
who determine the social trends
that carry a nation forward to JUS
tice and liberty or backward to bar
barism and brutality. During the re-
cent war it was the people who
mined the ore, processed the steel,
fashioned the weapons, and fought
the battles, They won the war. They
will make or break the peace.
We have just come through a
world war more ghastly than any
which the world has yet seen. Dur
ing this war the teaching profess
sion contributed its share of men
and women to the military forces.
Due to the meager salaries being
paid teachers, thousands upon thou
sands of our people left the pro-
fession to go into other lines of
work which paid them enough to
enable them to meet their neces-
sary expenses. The opportunity for
well-paid employment was so great
on all sides that young people did
not care to prepare themselves for
teaching.
Teacher Ranks Dwindle.
Previous to the war one teacher
in 200 throughout our country was
teaching on a temporary certificate.
At the close of the war one teach
er in 10 had substandard training.
In addition to this, thousands upon
thousands of schoolrooms had no
teachers. BY leaving the teaching
profession and entering other lines
of work, teachers were able to live.
A careful estimate places the
number who have left teaching DO
sitions since 1899 at 633,200. Perhaps
100000 of these were we'll trained.
thoroughly experienced teachers.
while the others were persons who
tried out teaching, for a few months
to a few years, and quit.
4Heie are IlloSt WHO assume Inat
this loss is but a reflection of war;
time manpower problems, and that
balance will come naturally within
a few years. Students of education
know better. The supply of compe-
tent. Well-prepared teachers will
turn in the direction of adequacy
only when public recognition of
teaching brings greater prestige,
higher remuneration, more security,
and larger measure of professional
freedom to the teacher.
New Pupils Need
IRirfhHor+;f;~o+o |