The Key West citizen., 1952-11-14
Schools Offer
Opportunity
For Everyone
Contributed BY
pOINcIANA SCHOOL.


Our country is a land of oppor
tunity where anyone regardless of
his origin. may obtain considerable
personal and economic status. While
many children are born into poor
families which cannot readily give
them economic and educational op-
portunities our public schools help
to overcome these disadvantages.
The public schools provide special
education Tor children with physi-
cal and mental handicapS; they
provide transportation for those
who live far from the school; they
provide preparation for employ.
ment as well as academic studies;
they provide nursery schools, kind
ergartens, and education for ad-
ults. Many institutions Of higher
education, private and public,
offer scholarships and fellowships
for those economic resources.
There is still much to be done
for such groups as migrant child
rem who receive little or no educat-
ion; and for gifted children, many
of whom we should evpect to be
the leaders Oh tommorow. There
is need for more opportunities if
every child is to attain his fullest
development.
Useful Facts
1. Among urban and rural non
farm workers Is years old and
older the median earnings in 1916
of men who had less than seven
years of schooling were $1746; of
those who had seven and eight
years of schooling, $2241; of those
who had one to three years of high
school, 2S45; of those who had
four years of high school, 2513; and
Of those who had one or more years
Of college. 3l78. Similar figures for
women were $611, 1854, $110S,
$3.50, and $1655.
2. In 1949 about TOSS, 900 children
lived in families whose annual in
come was $4,000 or more; about
10, ,s38, 900 children or one-forth of
all children in the country, lived
in families whose ANNUAL income
was less than $4,000. In the lower
than average income-about three
fifths of the children in this group
were in families of three or more
children.
3. In 1850 about 100000 children
lived In homes in which both par
ents worked; over 1,O00, 900 of these
children were in families with in.
comes under $1,000.
4. Guidance programs in schools
have expanded: in 1888, 1906
schools had 24oO vocational coun-
selors; In 194S about 1000 schools
had 5000 counselors.
S. The professionsare still growing.
In 1870 there were less than 500,
600 professional and semi-pr0fess.
ional workers; in 1850, over 1000,
600. The number of workmen in the
professions has grown so that in
April 1850, one out Of every nine
employed women was working in
profession; among men, one out oi
Is.
8. An NEA Research Division
study found that in 1947-194S, 81
percent Of the city school systems
reporting had audio-visual educa
ton, "a percent had library ser
vice, "a percent had a guidance de
partment, 73 percent had
school lunch program, and u has
a school health department. 0nl.
8 percent operated camps, % per
cent had summer sessions, and 81
percent had working experience
programs.
IL. A U. S. Office of Education
study found that in 194s. 1459 cit!
school systems we're providing
special education for 37S,O59 ex
ceptionaI children: in 1910. 729 cit.
school systems had provided TO
| 31s, ,722 exceptional children. Where
al 7so cities reported special class
es for the mentally deficient, onl.
| Is provided special classes for tn
| gifted.
8 About 4e In every 1000 high
school pupils are studing trade
q machine shop. automobile mech
anics. electrical work, cabinet max
ing, carpentry. and printing. Nor
| than one Ia five pupils in grades
Ill Is taking typing. About one ii
four pupils in junior and senio
highschool Is taking home econom
les. Comparatively new subjects in
clude consumer buying. driver ed
ucation, and radio speaking an
jects include English history. in
dustrial history, and nature study
.. Forty years ago, only So per
cent Of the nations children finish
ed the eigth grade. Today. the com
parable figure is % percent.
!