Show U so schools must prepare young people to cope with futures future s difficult problems 1 citizens are urged to visit their local learning centers labor industry educators the churches and clubs are uniting in a call for the observance of american education week november 5 11 the week is dedicated to public tribute to schools and is sponsored by the national education association the Amerl american can legion the united states office of education and the national congress of parents and teachers an annual pilgrimage to the nations schools is made in more than communities by more than 10 million persons during the weeks program of school activities calling upon mhd citizens to visit their schools president roosevelt asks observance ot of american education week to become better acquainted quain ted with those faithful servants of the nations children and youth the teachers in the presidents message to patrons students and teachers of american schools he asks that teachers be encouraged in their task of cultivating tree free men fit for or a tree free world for these teachers are the conservators conservatory conserva tors of civilization and the architects of tomorrows world ot of promised peace and progress they serve within the very citadels of democracy devotedly whether in war orin or in peace when victory on the fields of battle shall have been achieved the work yet to be done through our schools school will be enormous the president continues 1 I therefore call upon the teachers of america to continue without flagging their efforts to contribute through the schools to that final consummation which alone will make possible of fulfillment all plans of education for new tasks realizing that the schools play a vital role both in the prosecution of the war and laying the foundations for the peace education for new tasks is the theme for the annual observance vince schools are preparing children and young people for the new tasks which confront our country states P F L Schlag lc li president of the national education association the new tasks of making postwar re adjustments maintaining economic security at home improving relationships assuring justice to minority groups adapting our life to the new technology and improving community life only a people of intelligence character goodwill and earnestness can meet these issues with success program for the week dally daily themes in the development of education tor for new tasks ire are sunday november 5 building Build lof worldwide brotherhood monday november 6 winning the wr war tuesday november 7 improta las ing schools for tomorrow wednesday november 9 developing ve KB an endowing ealm ani reace peace Thu thursday raday november 9 his tor for the new technology arway november 26 14 educating an tn th people saturday november it 11 bettering Com maulty life when the war is 13 over our country will be faced with a problem ot of readjustment which in many ways way will be b its as difficult as the problems of mobilization for the war warns mr schlagle millions of men and wimin women must be retrained for fer new jobi ob boys and girls in schools must be aided in adjusting to postwar con dit editions ions the war has emphasized t the he nations need tor for youth we cannot afford in the postwar period to permit youth to become the lost generation again he says building worldwide brother hood topic for sunday opening the weeks program will be observed in the churches throughout the nation according to everett K R clinchy national conference 0 of christians and jews jewe brotherhood is giving to others the dignity and rights right swe we want to keep tor for ourselves we need to make universal brotherhood part of the learning experience he points point sout out that this can be done by thinking scientifically on questions of race religious cultures and nation allty differences which divide people into groups mondays theme winning the war Is a reminder of the wartime job being done by the schools in training adjustment of courses to permit pupils to do wartime work rationing and registration programs programs iams conducting scrap and bond drives as well as continuing their regular program of education for 25 million american children improving schools for tomorrow emphasizes the steps needed for improving american education equalization of educational opportunity through state and federal aid payment of adequate salaries to teachers streamlining the administrative organization organ izat ion ot of education jn in many areas and th the building of 0 school programs around real life problems are among the pressing needs for better schools in the postwar era hope for enduring pence peace education is a potent force which can be used for the promotion of peace underlies wednesdays tople topic developing an enduring peace proposals for the international organization following the th war include a council on educational policy which would become a permanent international agency for education cation n the purpose ot of such sin an agency would be to lift educational standards to encourage education for international understanding and to report for action to the general international body attempts in any nation to promote war through education preparing tor for the new technology points to the reliance technology end and science lava hava upon education the need for intelligent roani af a foment fernent and the tha reduction of un skilled labor are emphasized the ever increasing need for special spec lallia lita thonon alon on the th part of workers calls tor for cooperation and mutual helpful nest ness the tha pron promise ase of a new world depends depend upon technology to reach that promise we must develop through education people capable of using it mr schlagle points out educating AU all the people topic XAN g ma g M 1 1 X ai 4 M I 1 practical and scientific training Is getting increasing emphasis dur ins the war years even in grade school probably this trend will con into peace timm these boys are making radio sets tor for friday emphasizes that despite the great strides in establishing a system of public education thero there are asa per cent of our adult population having only a fourth grade education or less hundreds of thousands of men fully qualified in every other respect respect I 1 have been found by y the selective selecta ve service to have less than a fourth grade education 4 1 bettering community life topic for the last day of of american education week underlines the role ot of the school as a community center serving adults as well as children and acting as a B for force ce for bringing the people toge together so that plans for improved community life may be made and devel developed Problem sf future american education week grew crewl out of the first world war it was first observed observe te in 1921 twenty five per cent of the men examined in that draft were illiterate 29 per cent were physically unfit many were 1 foreign born bom and had little understanding of american life these were startling disclosures disclosure e m unfit as they were for war these men were also incapable of serving their country most effectively in time of peace members of the new newly ay formed A american m e rican legion W wished shed to correct these conditions they saw fai fn this situation an opportunity to serve their country after the war when a campaign of education appeared to be the only answer they consulted the other sponsoring organizations and as a result the first american education week was observed all the new confront 0 our ur society as a whole are the ones with which our schools must deal for the schools are of society and their task Is to build society by developing good citizens mr schlagle further points out lei let us utilize the power of education to 1 4 i I 1 miny many adults need a grade school education either because they came from some region leon of the country where schools are remote or because they are forella born here i it young woman from austria waves her hard won diploma further fulfill the promise of america and to enable us to do our part par among the family of nations in the establishment of ajust a just order of affairs in the world he urges six billion investment t the national planning flaming committee a i private agency most of whose directors are businessmen recently stated that it if we make our economic system work reasonably well aft after erthe the war we shall have a national income of at least billion dollars the report goes on to relate that according to the edina estimated ted figures we shall spend 25 billion tor for foodstuffs as Eom compared pared with 16 billion before the war 16 billion tor for housing hou ai compared with 9 billion seven billion for automobiles as against four billion three billion for recreation as against one and a half billion 13 blahm for bouise household hold operations and equipment as corn com pared with six and a half billion shall we asks mr schlagle gle under such conditions refuse to increase the two and a half billion which we have been spending for schools and cot colleges leges shan shall we with the highest per capita income of any nation in all history use our in creased wealth to teed feed clothe and house ourselves in comparative luxury to buy entertainment airplanes automobiles radios and refrigerators and neglect to spend any of our increased income for the educational improvement of our children we can readily afford the five or six billion dollars which a genuinely adequate educational program for all would cost this would be ba the wisest investment that american citizens could make he contends eric A johnston president united states chamber of commerce says the organization is glad to give its support to the observance ot of american education week 1944 business recognizes the ara relation n between education and an ex expanding economy there is no m more ore important task before us than the development of the kind of educational cat ional program which will promote good citizenship and economic econ omir well being |