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Show A STEP FORWARD IN EDUCATION I Few question that education is one of the most important ' factors in the progress of the nation. In about a century and a half this country has grown I from a group of colonies to occu- I py the foremost position among the powers of the world. Of course, this phenomenal growth can be attributed in part to the abundant supply of natural resources, re-sources, but the greater part of the credit should be given to an enlightened citizenry, who, giv. en the opportunity of an education, educa-tion, grasped it, and U3ed knowledge know-ledge thus obtained to an advantage ad-vantage in the industrial and ahead of the public schools, if one is to compare their relative importance by the amount of money expended. The nation's yearly bill for tobacco, soft drinks, candy, chewing gum, jewelry, theatres, perfumes, cos. metics and things of similar nature na-ture is estimated at $6,239,860,-000 $6,239,860,-000 ; for tobacco alone being $2,. 078,110,000. From which it might be deduced that it costs almost as much to smoke as it does to provide an education for the nation's youth. The question arises: What are the returns upon money invested in-vested in education? A recent study by Everett W. Lord is ty- 1 scientiiic iiems. 1 The creation and maintenance I of this opportunity for all to ob- tain an education, in other a words the public schools and I colleges have been expensive to I some extent. As the population 1 has increased, the nation grown, I there has been a corresponding I increase in the attendance in the schools, and thus a demand for J more facilities and a larger ex- I penditure of money for them I each year. Yet, the general impression is I that this expenditure is much I larger than is actually the case. I The cost of education in compar- ! ison with the yearly income of the nation or with certain other 1 national expenditures is small. I For instance, as given in the I Research Bulletin of the Nation. I' al Education Association, the t yearly income of all the people I of the United States added to- get her in 1926 the latest avail- I tble figures amounted to $84,- I 1 en fff nOA Tn iha eniTIP vpar pical. lhe schooling and earning earn-ing of 7,400 people in all walks of life were examined. The aver, age earnings of the college trained train-ed group was $3,400 higher than those of high school training, while the high school graduates earned $1,100 more than those of elementary school training. All known studies of this nature indicate that persons with the larger amounts of schooling on the average earn substantially larger incomes. A realization of the large returns re-turns on money invested and a glance at the cost of public education edu-cation in comparison to other national expenditures, make it evident that education is not over.valuated in the country. In fact, the danger lies in the other direction. Has its great importance import-ance been fully realized? Have adequate agencies been provided to cope with the problems arising aris-ing and to insure the most returns re-turns for the sums expended? Tina olilpnfinn fupn rrivmi enffi 1 I there was expended $2,255,251,. 1 327 for public schools, (tax supported) sup-ported) of elementary, secondary second-ary and collegiate grades. In other words, only 2.68 per cent ! of the national income goes to the support of schools. More was spent on life insur- ance premiums in 1926 than for public schools, the former amounting to $2.624,000,000 ; out of every $100 income $3.12 is paid for life insurance and $2.68 for public schools. In other ( fields the difference is even more marked. In 1927 the na tion's bill for the construction of buildings was $6,787,000,000. or nearly three times that of public education in 1926. Perhaps it is more important to have the S means of conveyance than it is I to be educated. At least, in 1927 I the amount expended on passen- I ger automobiles, excluding mo- I tor trucks, was approximately $11,955,907,443 in comparison ?0 the $2,255,251,327 for public J Schools. Luxuries, too, are far I cient national recognition? Educational organizations and ether groups that have made an extensive study of these questions questi-ons state that there is a great need for some central force to supervise educational activities; that this need could best be met through a national Department of Education with a secretary in the President's cabinet. Legislation Legisla-tion providing for such a department depart-ment has been pending for some time in Congress in the form of the Curtis . Reed bill. It is evident evi-dent that there is an increasing demand throughout the country for the enactment of the measure meas-ure as the significance of its provisions are realized. Yet, the bill remains peculiarly dormant in Congress. Its passage would mean another step forward for education in this country. You can hasten the taking of this step by writing to your Congressman, Con-gressman, urging a Department of Education as provided for in the Curtis - Reed bill |