Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-08
The Plight of Our Schools

The Plight of Our Schools
There are several highly debatable
points in the report just submitted to the
President by the Committee for the White
House Conference on Education. But this
is understandable. For the report makes
no fewer than 70 recommendations in a
sweeping study of six broad aspects of
the complicated and acute problems con-
fronting our country'S system of public
elementary and secondary schools.
Perhaps the most controversial Sec
ton of the report is the one that "unani-
mouSly" Endorses the majestic ideal' and
the great lifting Of sights" unique to
America) that envision education, in both
grammar and high schools, as a thing
that should embrace far more than the
three Rs" or the So-called tough" sub
jects designed to discipline the mind and
make it grow. Although it recognizes, in
passing, that these subjects are "impor-
tant" and fundamental" the Presidents
committee has placed singularly little
emphasis on them.
Instead, declaring that it is no longer
proper" to restrict teaching to mental
skills, the committees "a members
headed by Neil McElroy, president of the
Proctor g. Gamble Company-have been
at pains to emphasize their approval of
an educational enlargement Carried out
over the past Is years. that covers is
areas in addition to the three Rs"
These areas, which are not duplicated in
most other countries, include classes in
cookery and housekeeping, training in
leisure time activities like dancing, and
instruction In swimming and automobile
driving. The committee is all in favor
OF such programs, although it acknowl-
edges that they greatly increase the need
for classroom facilities, require many
more teachers and create real danger"
that our elementary and secondary
schools, in trying to do little of every
thing with what some people regard as
mere frills and furbelows, may wind up
doing nothing we'll
Yet, despite the challengeable char
acter of its philosophy as regards the
intellectual regimen that our children
should face, the Presidents committee
has rendered excellent service to the
Nation in accomplishing the great seri-
BUSINESS of our shortage of teachers and
school facilities. A few statistics point
up the story. At present there are about
35 million Americans enrolled in our
grammar and high schools, and this total
is expected to grow to almost 48 million
by 1865. But already owing primarily
to an l8-year lapse in the building of it's
educational plant the United States
ont dc 10 nAn
and 100000 additional classrooms by 1860
"a need that simply is not being met at
the current rate of construction SINH
larly, chiefly because of poor economic
inducements, our supply of competent
teaching personnel falls far short of
present and prospective requirements.
What is to be done about this? AS
far as school construction is concerned,
the Presidents committee-with only a
few dissents-has found that the States
and local communities have the fiscal
capacity. especially because of our
steadily expanding national economy, to
carry most of the load, but it recommends,
among other things. Federal financial
aid on a short-term emergency basis.
AS for teachers, the committee forecasts
difficult situation for the next 10 and
possibly 20 years. but it feels confident
that the supply will be sufficient in the
long run If immediate steps are taken
to improve the economic status of the
profession with sharp pay increases
Eventually doubling the present low
Scale) and related rewards comparable
to what is offered in other fields Of
endeavor
The problems involved in all this are
obviously going to plague us for many
years to come. Certainly, as Chairman
McElroy has said in his letter of trans
initial to the President, THE issues con-
fronting the schools are so complex and
so bound to the inevitable changes Of
time that no one report can hope to be
more than an inStallment of what must
be continuing study" But the situa-
ton is by no means insolube The White
House committee has made that much