Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-10
School Aid Proposals
Raise Some Questions

school level must be good enough
to prepare them for university
work.
Advocates of Federal support for
school construction point out that
such a program would not only
ease the classroom shortage but
would also free local funds in order
to increase teachers pay. Then,
too, the academic level would rise,
especially in the sciences, where
modern facilities are necessary for
instruction as well as to provide
competitive teachers with an In
centive to remain in education and
to improve their own standards.
Although the Department Of Edu-
cation program is now being dis
cussed with the Budget Bureau. it
would seem likely that the admin
istration will again support Fed
eral aid for school construction
in some form.
At the college level considerable
attention is being focused on the
proposal to provide Federal schol-
arships for the best qualified stu
dents. For several months Repre-
sentative Elliott, chairman of the
House subcommittee on education
and labor, has held hearings
throughout the country. Educators
generally, including the National
Education Association. advocate
Government grants to selected
individuals for accredited fields of
study. However. the Presidents
Committee on Education Beyond
the High School in its report pub
lished in July recommended
against federally financed schol-
arships and favored other methods
of Federal assistance TO bolster
the educational system.
Plan for 100000
It has been estimated that a
Federal college scholarship pro-
gram to assist 100000 talented
high school graduates VINO are not
continuing their education largely
for financial reasons would cost
5000 million plus administrative
expenses after the first four years.
Such a fund would provide $500
for each student.
But even the National Science
Foundation has avoided an I'M
dergraduate scholarship program
specifically for science. AS DR..
John A. Perkins, UndersecreSary
for Health, Education and We'll
fare, has pointed out, when
scholarship programs are rigid the
use of funds is inefficient. The
scholarship needs in one place or
field of study may not be great
and in another there may be
needs but no funds"
Despite these reservations. If
the administration comes out for
a Federally aided broad scholar
ship program it will find many
Congressman and Senators sup
porting specialized aid for science
and engineering students since
that is where the emphasis has
been in the discussions of the
Soviet successes and how to
counter them.
Even should comprehensive
program of aid to students be
worked out, the need to raise
the quality and quantity of teach
ing viii remain as a serious prob
lem. Not only is there a shortage
of 1876, 900 schoolteachers, but half
of those entering the profession
do not plan to remain in it -
mainly because of poor pay.
There is considerable doubt
whether direct Federal aid could
be channeled to teachers. parti-
cularly because of the religious
Affiliations of many educational
institutions. At present the Ma
tional Science Foundation gives
grants to colleges to conduct re-
fresher courses for some 5000
high school and college teachers
of science and mathematics.