So tomorrow these 10 scholars, chosen from thousands throughout our land, will begin their journey. I want to say to each of you that you give all of us great cause for pride, because of your application, your dedication, and your achieve ment. You represent a great idea: the idea of international educational opportunity. I have just been discussing that with one of the great, distinguished officials of this Government, Assistant Secretary of State, Mr. Lincoln Gordon. You will be hearing a great deal more about that in the days to come, as a result of the work that we are doing together. In the next few weeks, through the generosity of the University of Sydney and the Australian people, you will go there to meet these students from other lands. You will be guests in their homes. You will share their experiences. And the journey that you will begin tomorrow will strengthen, I think, the friendship between our countries. You may feel that it is an honor to receive these medals that mark your achievement today. But I want you to know that we feel honored in your presence. And, like your own parents, I feel a bit uncomfortable when I reflect that you can do the new math when I remember how much difficulty I had with the old math. I hope all of you have a good trip to Australia. I just wish I were going with you. THE STATE OF THE UNION The President's Message Delivered Before a Joint Session of the Congress. January 10, 1967 Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, distinguished Members of the Congress: The last 3 years bear witness to our determination to make this a better country. We have struck down legal barriers to equality. We have improved the education of 7 million deprived children and this year alone we have enabled almost 1 million students to go to college. We have launched new training programs to provide job skills for almost one million Americans. We have given 1 million young Americans a chance to earn-through the Neighborhood Youth Corps or through Head Start-a chance to learn. This is true with other programs that are making and breaking new ground. Some do not yet have the capacity to absorb well or wisely all the money that could be put into them. Administrative skills and trained manpower are just as vital to their success as dollars. And I believe those skills will come. But it will take time and patience and hard work. Success cannot be forced at a single stroke. So we must continue to strengthen the administration of every program if that success is to come as we know it must. Let us create new opportunities for our children and our young Americans who need special help. We should strengthen the Head Start Program, begin it for children 3 years old, and maintain its educational momentum by following through in the early years. We should develop educational television into a vital public resource to enrich our homes, educate our families, and to provide assistance in our classrooms. We should insist that the public interest be fully served through the public's airwaves. APPALACHIAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT The President's Letter to the President of the Senate and the Speaker Recommending Extension of the Program. January 20, 1967 Dear Mr. President: (Dear Mr. Speaker:) I recommend that the Congress extend the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965. Because of the work done by the Commission and cooperating Federal, state and local agencies -51 hospitals have been completed or are under construction -52 vocational education schools are being built ---work is underway on 790 miles of the development highway system -new libraries, airports, college classrooms and water resource projects are being pursued to completion -thousands of workers have been trained, hired and added to the payrolls A PROGRAM FOR OLDER AMERICANS The President's Message to the Congress Proposing Increases in Social Security Payments and Extending Other Benefits. January 23, 1967 To the Congress of the United States: I recommend that: -the Congress enact a law prohibiting arbitrary and unjust discrimination in employment because of a person's age. the law cover workers 45 to 65 years old. -the law provide for conciliation and, if necessary, enforcement through cease and desist orders, with court review. -the law provide an exception for special situations where age a reasonable occupational qualification, where an employee is du charged for good cause; or where the employee is separated under o regular retirement system. -educational and research programs on age discrimination i strengthened. To carry forward this partnership, I recommend that: -the Older Americans Act be extended and its funding levels be increased. -appropriations under the Neighborhood Facilities Program be increased to construct multipurpose centers to serve senior citizens with a wide range of educational, recreational and health services. and to provide information about housing and employmer: opportunities. THE BUDGET MESSAGE The President's Message to the Congress Transmitting the Budget for Fiscal Year 1968. January 24, 1967 Based on a thorough review of our economic assistance objectives and programs, I will recommend new legislation and specific actions to Require more effective self-help measures by recipient countries as a condition for U.S. aid; Increase the amount of assistance for the key sectors of agriculture, health, and education; * EDUCATION. Our Nation's greatness depends upon the full development of the talents and abilities of its citizens. The 89th Congress wrote a memorable record in education legisla tion. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and the Higher Education Act of 1965 marked a significant advance in Federal support to help improve and enlarge educational opportunities at ali levels. Our task now is to use this authority in an imaginative, creative. and responsible way. New obligational authority for education will total $5.2 billion 1968, $622 million more than in 1967. These funds will be used to. Assist the disadvantaged by increasing grants to improve elementary and secondary education for about 8 million less fortunate children from low-income families and by providing new grants for education of handicapped children; Encourage creative change through an increase of almost 80° in grants for supplementary centers and other special projects designed to introduce better teaching and innovation in our educational programs. Widen higher educational opportunities by providing more tha $1.1 billion in scholarships, loans, and part-time work for students. a 22% increase over 1967; and Improve teacher training through additional funding and amendments providing for a more flexible use of legislative authority. I will propose legislation to: Extend and enlarge the Teacher Corps; Initiate experimental projects to improve vocational education, particularly for the disadvantaged and those not planning to attend college; Extend and expand Federal support for educational television; and Strengthen education program planning and evaluation by State governments and localities. THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BUDGET MESSAGE he President's Message to the Congress Transmitting the Budget for the District of Columbia, Fiscal Year 1968. January 25, 1967 EDUCATION Operating funds for the public school system in 1968 require $101 illion, an increase of $14.5 million over 1967. The urgent need further to improve District schools has been emhasized not only in a recent congressional investigation and report, ut also in the report of the Commission on Crime in the District of olumbia. The deficiencies are substantial, and they are serious. duction for every child to the limits of his capacity is basic to all ther efforts. To achieve this goal in the District, the quality of eduation must be improved, the needs of children from deprived and adequate family backgrounds must be given more attention, and he physical plant must be expanded and modernized. The budget eflects the urgent need to accomplish each of these objectives as uickly as possible. IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION With the funds provided in the budget the quality of education will e improved by— More support, through additional teachers, for elementary school instruction in such fields as science, mathematics, music, art, physical education, and foreign languages. Added professional help for schools of all levels in such areas as reading, speech, curriculum, library science, guidance, history and business education. An internship program to assist teachers in their first year of teaching through in-service training. Attaining Board of Education standards for librarians and counselors: a librarian for each school where facilities are available, and a ratio of counselors to pupils of 1:750 in elementary schools and 1: 400 in the secondary schools. Beginning a reduction in class sizes in schools where space is available. Regular academic pupil-teacher ratios in junior and senior high schools will be reduced from 25:1 to 21:1. Because of space limitations, the goal of a ratio of 24:1 in elementary schools must await the construction program. Additional assistant principals in elementary schools to improve school administration and instructional supervision. MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE DISADVANTAGED The funds provided in the budget will also help to meet the needs of children whose background and family resources are inadequate. Nearly half the pupils in the District's schools come from areas where the average family income is under $5,000. Funds from Federsi programs have helped to enrich the school experience of these children. but more is necessary. The budget will Provide teachers who can give individualized instruction to pupils who can be helped by more teacher attention provided through team teaching, ungraded classrooms, smaller class arrangements, seminars, and tutorial assistance in after-school study. Initiate a pre-kindergarten program for 3,000 children, w convert the Head Start approach into a full-year program. Provide help to approximately 60,000 students in remedial reading. Double the present number of pupil personnel teams to provide help both to pupils and to teaching personnel in determining the abilities and emotional stability of children. Expand the school lunch program. Provide matching funds to qualify for teachers from the National Teacher Corps. CONSTRUCTING AND EQUIPPING SCHOOLS Funds in the amount of $63.3 million are provided in the budget for various phases of school construction. This is a substantial increase over past levels, but it is a more current assessment of the need. There is no economy in delay. On the contrary, postponement of essential facilities condemns many students to educational handicaps that will endure throughout their lives. The budget is intended to reflect urgency. It will provide funds for Construction of 17 projects for which site and planning funds have already been appropriated-including 2 new elementary schools, 2 elementary school replacements, additions to 12 other schools, and an addition to the school warehouse. Equipment for elementary and junior high construction projects already funded. Planning and construction funds for three elementary and one senior high school additions. Site and planning funds for 28 school projects. Seventy-five portable pre-kindergarten classrooms for the most seriously deprived areas of the District. An addition to Sharpe Health School, and a new school for the severely mentally retarded. Funds are provided for the construction of a new Shaw Junior High School, for which the Congress provided special legislation in 1966. Funds to enable the Board of Vocational Education and the Board of Higher Education to begin planning for the two new institutions |