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ACTION BY THE 83D CONGRESS AFFECTING

EDUCATION AND EDUCATORS

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION

The single characteristic which most distinguishes society in the United States from that in Communist countries is probably the wide latitude which our people have for individual choice. Not only are our people free to choose the subjects of their thoughts and of their oral and written expressions; they are also free to shape public policies through the summation of their decisions reached as individuals.

If our public policies are to be shaped wisely our people must be able wisely to make their individual decisions. The wisdom of their choices depends largely upon the extent and quality of their education. The successful functioning of our form of government, the maintenance of our national sovereignty in a world of conflict, our economic and cultural progress, and our total greatness as a nation largely depend upon the extent and quality of the education of all our people.

In a message to the patrons, students, and teachers of American schools, dated November 7, 1954, President Eisenhower said in part:

Because our schools help shape the mind and character of our youth, the strength or weakness of our educational system today will go far to determine the strength or weakness of our national wisdom and our national morality tomorrow. That is why it is essential to our Nation that we have good schools. And their quality depends on all of us.

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If we citizens succeed in this effort (to promote education), we shall have helped to strengthen an America in which intelligence and sound ethics will be preserved, and therefore an America in which democracy will be secure. If through indifference we fail, we shall ourselves have struck a blow against the foundations of our chosen way of life.

A. EDUCATION AND OUR CHANGING SOCIETY

When our Nation was young and its economy was mainly agrarian, the needs and provisions for education were simple and simply met. The growth of population and of complexities of living, accompanied by change to an industrial economy, greatly expanded the need for more and better education.

There is evidence that our provisions, as a Nation, for the administration and support of education have not kept pace with the times. This has become apparent, especially since World War II, in overcrowded schools, shortage of teachers, half-day sessions, and widespread dissatisfaction with both the quantity and the quality of the education being given our children.

Fortunately there are signs that the Nation, vaguely sensing disaster, has begun a struggle for educational improvement. In recent years more and more people have taken an interest in prodding education

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LIRRARIES

toward adjustment to a new era. Already they have pushed it far up the approach road of investigation and reappraisal. The view ahead can now be seen as one of unprecedented growth and development.

A study of the history of education in the United States shows that its advancement has not been a steady process but has been marked by certain periods of rapid change. These periods usually have been preceded by such conditions as (1) widespread dissatisfaction with the schools, (2) the rise of leaders in educational reform, (3) increased public concern over educational matters, evidenced in the public press (4) increased interest in the problems of education shown by political leaders, and (5) economic progress sufficient to support larger invest ments in education. Such conditions are in evidence today.'

Unfortunately there has also been some derogatory criticism of education. Happily, that kind of clamor seems to be growing less harsh in tone and the changing view ahead now includes signboards bearing such admonitions as "Let's attack the problem, not the schools."

B. FEDERAL LEADERSHIP TOWARD IMPROVEMENT OF EDUCATION

The fact that traditionally the administration and the financing of public education in the United States is mainly a responsibility of State and local governments is generally accepted. Undoubtedly the majority of the people wish the States and local governments to con tinue bearing the main responsibility. If any serious proposal that the Federal Government principally assume that responsibility has been made within the last 150 years it has not been seriously con sidered by the Congress or by the people. However, the Feders Government has from the beginning played an important role in education. The importance of that role has grown as the importance of education to the national welfare and progress has grown.

In recognition of this increased importance of education from the national viewpoint, the Federal Government has assumed more and more of the leadership toward improvement of education throughout the United States. In his budget message to Congress on January 21, 1954, President Eisenhower declared his intention to call a national conference on education, composed of educators and interested citizens, to be held after preparatory conferences in the States. The indica tion of leadership at the Federal level of government shown by this action was accentuated by his assertion that

The conference will study the facts about the Nation's educational problems and recommend sensible solutions. We can then proceed with confidence on constructive and effective long-range program.

Public Law 530, approved July 26, 1954, authorized appropriations to finance the national conference on education proposed by the President. It is to be broadly representative of educators and other interested citizens from all parts of the Nation, and is to be officially called the White House Conference on Education. The act also authorized Federal grants to help finance State conferences on educa tion. The Congress appropriated $900,000 of Federal funds for these purposes. It is expected that much of the cost will be met from State and private sources.

1 Chase, Francis S., A Great Advance in Education. Nation's Schools (Chicago), vol. 54, No. 5, Novem

ber 1954: 43-44.

This Federal leadership toward developing information on which base action for the improvement of education, was accompanied by Ingressional probes into education. During the 83d Congress the ternal Security Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on the diciary and the House Committee on Un-American Activities vestigated Communist penetration into the educational system of the nited States. The Special Committee To Investigate Tax-Exempt oundations sought evidence of un-American practices of educational undations and organizations; and a special subcommittee of the ouse Committee on Education and Labor inquired into the extent Federal activity in the field of education and related matters.

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CHAPTER II. MAJOR LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS AND
ENACTMENTS 1 1

Bills introduced in the 83d Congress affecting education or educators numbered about 700. Action was taken on approximately 100 of these bills. Over 60 of them became laws.

At least 30 additional bills affecting education or the educational profession were favorably reported in the House or Senate. Committees held hearings or took some other form of action concerning other bills in this field.

Action and inaction by the 83d Congress affecting education together are indicative of several significant policy trends.

Brief discussions of the foregoing general observations appear later in this report.

A. MAJOR ENACTMENTS

Among the more important laws of general interest affecting educa tion and educators enacted during 1953 and 1954 are the following

1. Public Law 13, which put into effect Reorganization Plan No.1 of 1953, establishing the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, of which the Office of Education became a constituent agency, 2. Public Law 83, which made provision for the expansion of Federal-State cooperative agricultural extension education-a nationwide activity.

3. Public Law 141, which reduced the postal rates on certain mate rials to be used for educational purposes.

4. Public Laws 246 and 248, which provided for amendment and continuation of the programs for school construction and for the maintenance and operation of schools in certain federally affected localities and Public Law 731, which extended for 2 years the program of Federal aid to school construction in such localities.

5. Public Law 325, which provided for the establishment of the United States Air Force Academy, which presumably will become one of the several important institutions of higher education operated or largely supported by the Federal Government (some others being the Military Academy, the Naval Academy, the Air University, the Coast Guard Academy, the Merchant Marine Academy, Howard University, Gallaudet College, the National War College, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces).

6. Public Law 530, which authorized appropriations to enable the President to hold a White House Conference on Education preceded by State conferences on education to be held with the aid of Federal

funds.

7. Public Law 565, which provided for an extension of vocational rehabilitation services, including rehabilitation training.

1 Principal sources: (1) Public laws of the 83d Cong.; (2) Digest of Public General Bills, prepared in the Legislative Reference Service of the Library of Congress, final issues 1953 and 1954 (U. S. Govember Printing Office); (3) a subject list of bills of general interest affecting education introduced in the 531 prepared in the Office of Education, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, by Amanda B. M Caskill (typescript); (4) articles in educational journals and newspapers concerning particular laws and

investigations.

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