Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-06
Continued From First Page


pointed out, an immense" short
age of school buildings. reflecte,
IN many communities in OVERSIZE
classes. makeShift Schoolroom
and double shifts. and lat leas
as severe" a teacher shortage.
The present building lack, tn
report noted. amounts to som
100000 claSSro0mS, and enroll
ment is growing rapidly. But a
the present construction rate
about 10000 rooms a year-th
report stressed that this grow
ing need has no chance to b
met"
AS for teachers, there is
current shortage of some 205, 90
in public schools alone. and ad
ditional thousands will be needle,
steadily to meet rising enroll
ment. The need includes traine,
teachers to replace many-th,
report estimated this total a
40,000-not properly qualified.
Change of Goals Blamed
In part. the committee blamed
the present situation on chang
III school goals.
Public schooling once was re
stricted. the report noted. to de
veloping the skills of the mind
But schools now, it added, al,
expected to serve a new ideal
of much broader education, in.
GLIDING improving children
health. providing vocational
training and doing anything
else which will help bring chic
up to the starting line of adul
life, as even with his contempt
raries as native differences II
ability permit,
The schools stands as thu
chief expression of the American
tradition of fair play for every,
one and a fresh start for each
generation" declared the report
This great new goal for oul
schools is unanimously approved
by the committee. il added. But
1t asserted that the schools are
far from achieving it.
Financing Inadequate
In assessing the blame, the
committee cited defects in school
organization, teaching and other
conditions. But it pointed chiefly
TO inadequate financing
There is far more to be proud
of in today's schools than there
is to criticize. Their weaknesses
usually stem from a lack of
means. rather than any defect
in their goal" the report de-
clared, adding:
The American people want
and need not only more schools
but better schools. To meet these
needs we must spend more
money"
The committee voiced no doubt
that more school spending can
be afforded.
School costs have risen rap
idly. but the national income
has gone up at even more
rapid rate" it asserted. 1T APP
pears that the Nation as a whole
will have the fiscal capacity to
finance both an increase in
quantity and quality of educa-
ton.
A few States. the committee
said. may lack the resources to
finance adequate school systems
without raising taxes excessively
for some years ahead. Partly
on the basis of this conjecture.
apparently, it proposed limited
Federal school, building aid. on
an emergency basis.
The report asserted that all
States could finance their schools
better than they are doing now
however.
Besides the emergency Fed
eral aid. the report made many
specific recommendations for &C
ton on national. State and local
levels.
Must Double Pay
Teacher pay should be in
creased almost everywhere, il
said.
Only by a dramatic increase
can enough of the best-qualified
people be attracted to the pro-
fesslon and persuaded to spend a
lifetime at it. declared the COM
nlittee. Doubling the pay in
real wages Of teachers cannot
be done quickly, but in the opin-
ion Of this committee, such a
drastic increase eventually will
be necessary to attract the most
capable young men and women
to the schools"
The report also urged revamp-
ing pay scales to reward long
service better and provide pre-
MUM salaries for outstanding
teachers.
More effort should be made
to direct gifted students to coll
lege and on into teaching. in
GLIDING more scholarship help
the report said. 1t added that
better financial support also
should be given to teacher
training institutions and depart
ments. Also suggested was ex-
perimentatlon with non-profes-
sional helpers to ease the load
OF routine work on teachers.
States should re-examine theil
school district organization and
methods Of school financing
which IN many cases need re-
vamping. the report asserted. II
also called for more State help
IN school construction.
Size of Districts at Fault
Most of the country's school
districts are too small for Geo.
nomical and efficient education
the report said On the Other
hand, it added, some big city
school systems are too big ano
ought TO be decentralized
The report cited as "dra
matte example" of the need fol