Part 1 (2/2)
Think for a moment of what it means in a democracy and for a de children) of the possible directing forces of the government unable to read or write!
But e add to this statee of these illiterates are of foreign birth or extraction and have never learned either to speak or understand the language of their adopted country, the situation is seen to be even more serious in potentiality, both in peace and war Our authorities have been too lax, it seen extraction, whether foreign or Ae
In communities thickly settled by alien peoples they have too often allowed the schools to be conducted in the vernaculars of the people--a German school here, an Austrian school there, and an Italian school over yonder, and so on And it goes without saying that in schools in which children are instructed in alien tongues 'tis not the American spirit that is inculcated nor Ae the statement that here is a defect in the execution of our educational program, and one that must be remedied at any cost
Still another serious weakness as revealed by the e nuer number accepted only for limited service because of physical disability as shown by the ures at hand, but 'tis corave Eye defects, ear defects, defective teeth, weak lungs, flat feet, round shoulders, spinal curvature, unsymmetrical developreat nuid medical examination by a military officer would ever have opened our eyes to the real situation
But this did The revelations came as a surprise to nearly all except the educational leaders of the country They have known, all the tieneration, have been trying to coain the question is raised as to whether these defects, or weaknesses, of American education, in both fields mentioned, as serious as they have been seen to be for war, are not even a more serious menace when looked upon from the point of view of peace, and therefore, even tho the war has been won, of such co importance as to deo on and na out of our educational progra the critical days of our warfare But this article is not intended to be a catalog The twoIlliteracy and physical disability! Weakness along these lines strikes at the very roots of national life and of individual well-being And if, as a nation and as individuals, we are ever going to enter into our inheritance, these defectsto discuss remedies, it will be well to locate responsibility
Are our basic educational principles unsound, or merely our educational practises unsatisfactory? Are the educational leaders of the country all wrong in theory? Have their heads been so high a the clouds that they have not seen the real boy and his homely task? Or have they seen clearly andupon technical matters and always slow to act in new fields, has not been ready to follow? Is it in theory or in practise where the real shortco is to be found? The answer to the question is vital If in theory, then is the situation serious indeed for that would --that our whole philosophy of life and of government has been built upon error Truly, then, after all these years, the ”educational forces” would need to ”redee stock than we have ever been before” But if the weakness liesbeen able to attain to our ideals, then, tho serious, it would be but child's play, coht We should need to take courage, redouble our efforts, and all that, but should not need to start all over again
How shall we account for the illiteracy revealed a both alien and native born? Not by faultyelse that teachers have done or have not done Illiterates have not attended the schools It is due either to insufficient legislation or to non-enforcement of laws, doubtless more the latter save in the case of adult aliens
Fro of our colonial life, early in the 17th century, universal education has been a part of both our educational and our governram of compulsory education was early found necessary, early adopted, and never abandoned Beginning in Massachusetts and going south and west, following considerably behind but then keeping almost even pace with settleislation has decreed that every child born into the land or coes of education, at least to the extent of knowing how to read and write the English language Every state in the Union has compulsory attendance laws upon its statute books These laws are not as thorogoing as they should be in many cases but yet, even as they are, if enforced, they should leave al people whose childhood has been spent in this country For the least satisfactory laws--those of soia, for example, require school attendance for at least four ht and fourteen But illiteracy, even a our own people, has been revealed--too much of it The laws have not been enforced There is the sore spot Why have they not been enforced? But of that later
The education of adult aliens is another matter, and a very different one As a problem it is almost new That is, it has been only in relatively recent years that it has been recognized as such True, for several years soely affected, such as Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and others have been wrestling with it, but not verythe coencies, philanthropic, industrial, religious, political, and others have also done good work But all that had thus far been done had accomplisht little more, at the outbreak of the war, than to open our eyes to the existence of a proble about its solution But war came The European nations were aflaations were made The universal draft was adopted The revelations were startling It was discovered that in 1910 there were in the United States 2,953,011 white persons of foreign birth, 10 years of age and over, unable to speak the English language
Of these 56,805 were froe, 330,994 between fifteen and twenty-one, and 2,565,212 twenty-one and over Note the number, _e and over--rown, fathers of fae of their adopted country! And of these 788,631 were illiterate--unable to read or write in any language!
Nothing short of legal requireidly enforced, absolutely free of cost to the i bodies of the country, both State and Federal, et beyond our control
And the long catalog of physical defects--what shall be said of theainst the ”educational forces” of the country?
Are they a disgrace from which we reater laughing stock”? It is perfectly evident that somebody has blundered because the whole sad list of defects is, speaking broadly, preventive and, for the most part, also remediable
But where lies the responsibility--upon the home, the school, or society? Of course, prioes to the home, is a part of the home, is under the immediate control of the home But yet, many homes, especially hoent to have entrusted to the importance And many others are not financially able to have proper attention given
But the school does know And it, or what it represents, is abundantly able financially to handle the matter It knows clearly how the child with physical defects is ha to perform its school work; it knows, too, how seriously the entire work of the school is interfered hen there are many such in the room; and it also knows the handicap under which such unfortunate children face life when school days are over And the school knows, too, the preventive and re all this knowledge, why has it not acted? Tostory short, it has acted To the extent of its authority and with all the influence and power at its co for eneration the educational forces of the country have been engaged in a nation-wide educational caned to make clear to the horowing seriousness of the situation On the lecture platform and from the Gospel pulpit, in the educational press and in the popular azine, aye, in the daily newspaper, in private conversation and in public discussion, in season and out of season, they have labored unceasingly to acquaint the public with the facts and to urge preventive and remedial action To the unselfish work of these leaders of educational thought and action, suppleenerous assistance of the medical profession, is due the fact of our present-day intelligence in regard to the matter Educators have been deeply interested, thoroly alive, and intelligently at work How they have agitated theof schoolhouses! How they have pleaded for medical inspection and appropriate ed the employment of the school nurse!
How they have workt for the playground and the gy the same!
But they do not form the court of last appeal They have no authority
They all stand in about the same anomalous position as does the man nominally at the head of the educational activities of the country--the United States Coather statistics, est action But that is all Tho possessing full knowledge of the situation, tho knowing just how to proceed to usher in a better day, they are not permitted to take any action Responsible? Of course they are not responsible ”Redee stock”? How long, oh! how long, will our great ar, be unappreciated, belittled, and ned!
Who, then, is responsible? In the last analysis there is but one answer--the public itself Since the coe as well as the individual afflicted is, in the final outcome, a sufferer in every case of physical disability, as also in that of illiteracy, it is its duty, as a mesure of self-protection, at least, to assume direction Adequate information is at hand as to desirable methods of procedure
Deraested is feasible, inexpensive, and beneficial This has been brought about thru the action of a few s object lessons But why must we say ”a few”? Why is not such work nation-wide? That is a longer story It follows
The United States of Aovernovernovern supervision and control over its local matters And education has thus far been considered a local matter And in many ways that soverenty has been still further divided
We have as a sanization the county, and a smaller one yet, the townshi+p, and, in many states, a still s, in many instances, only a few square miles of territory and, of course, a very limited population But in some respects, within certain li th of the school ter, andsuch as the one under consideration
For these reasons it frequently happens that side by side are school districts, or townshi+ps, or counties, idely differing educational progras, well ventilated and well lighted, well equipt in every way, in the hands of competent teachers, with physician and nurses subject to call But just over the i quite satisfactory They are just living up to the strict letter of the State's require spent that represents the community's voluntary contribution to the welfare of its child life or to the future well-being of humanity