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Show " n VxK f v-w & s x fe-TV r v j 1 1 rFTTING READY-July Anderson (left) trainino tni,iirf . !lss Education Week observed activities designed to call the public's attention to the successes of public schools in Utah County as well as the serious problems facing them. Parents are encouraged to participate. By ROBERT S. HUNSAKER Next week has been designated American Education Week. Ironically the. impetus for setting aside this week was the result of another crisis in education. After World War I, draft boards discovered that about 25 percent of Die draftees were illiterate and about 29 percent were physically unfit. In 1917, the American Legion, the National Education Association, and the U.S. Office of Education discussed launching an educational campaign to correct these deficiencies. As a result, a series of conferences con-ferences began on a regular basis in 1919, leading to a plan for an annual nationwide observance of American Education Week and to the first AEW observance in 1921. Early AEW programs featured daily topics based on fundamental concepts of educational purposes and objectives. From 1929 through 1968, representatives of the sponsoring spon-soring organizations chose a general theme with supporting daily subtopics. Beginning in 1969, however, the co-sponsors chose a general theme of national concern for each year. The theme for 1983 is "A Strong Nation Needs Strong Public Schools." Today, the observance serves to increase public understanding and appreciation of the schools, to encourage en-courage parents to visit the schools, to secure civic and community support to improve the schools, and help the students gain an appreciation ap-preciation of what the schools are doing for them. There couldn't be a more appropriate ap-propriate time to spotlight education. The problems facing ' education now, are perhaps more serious than at any time. Insufficient In-sufficient funds, calls for reform, and a deluge of new students are some of the problems facing Utah County schools. Local educators, PTA representatives and other concerned con-cerned citizens will be involved in |