Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-09-30
Tent Schools
Forecast for
Future Pupils
By Roy Henry

Earl j. McGrath. United States
commissioner of education, says that
If something isn't done to ease the
shortage of elementary teachers and
schools, many youngsters will be 60
ing to class in tents or churches by
1856. Some, he says, won't be able
to go to school at all.
He made this prediction in an in
tervieW. AS backdrop he submitted
these findings to the United States
Office of Education, which he heads:
/. The Nation faces a year of trying
to put 100000 more children than
last year into too few schools with too
few teachers.
2. The mobilization program is al
lowing only trickle of steel to build
new schools. A recent report showed
that about 1900 planned schools and
TOO under construction would be de-
layed a year-maybe more.
Expect 8 Million More
3. School enrollments are expected
to climb at least until 1858. In the
1950-51 school year. elementary en-
rollment was about 1916 million. BY
1860 there may be million more.
4. Within the next 10 years, the
Nation will need 10000 new teach
ers. This year, with some 605,000
elementary teachers, it needed $4,000
more. More than 100000 of these
are not qualified.
IT don't think the American people
realize" DR.. McGrath said, "how
serious these school problems are.
They're getting worse day by day.
We're going backward instead of
forward.
I'm some defense areas children
are forced to attend classes in tents
and churches. Some classes are held
in school buses because there is no
other classroom"
DR.. McGrath said he feels that the
Nation can combine the steel needs
of defense and schools so that neither
will be seriously hurt. But soon, he
added, American leaders and the
public must make some wise judy
ments", about how this combination
can be better made.
1.-THE threat Of war is of grave i'm
portance in these judgments" he
said, but so Is the abandoning of
fundamental American principle"
Teaching Locks Attraction
The long-run solution to the
teacher shortage, DR.. McGrath said,
is to make the teaching profession
more attractive.
Relatively, the teacher is not paid
enough" he added, and "the restric-
tive forces on the teachers social
life in some communities are too
strong"
Again he pointed a finger at the
American public and said "the people
must realize that it's their duty to
correct the shortcomings.
He urged that a national study
OF the American teacher be made
to see why the profession doesn't
attract more persons. There may
be many subtle factors which might
be ferreted out by such study" he
said.
IF something isn't done soon to
ease the pressures brought on by
the school and teacher shortages,
we will have to resort to holding
schools in makeshift classrooms, in
churches, in tents and any space
that might be available.
THE peak year as we look at it
now will come in five or six years
perhaps by 1855 or 1856. That's when
the Nation will be the hardest hit"
Several education groups have
taken the initiative in trying to in
terest the public in the problems,
he said. The parent-teacher organ
izations and the National Citizens
Committee for Public Schools are
two.
Other efforts are being made
through radio, teleyision and news
papers. DR.. McGrath also praises
American business for its efforts.
through the advertising council, to
present facts to the public.
Those who reason" he said, "that
we should postpone school and
teacher increases until we know
whether the upward trend in birth
rates will continue, reason falsely.
They reason dangerously"
associated Press)