STATEMENTS BY ORGANIZATIONS* Senator LISTER HILL, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF DENTAL SCHOOLS, Chairman, Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, United States Senate, Washington, D. C.: The American Association of Dental Schools in session, March 26, 1958, urges support of legislation for providing funds for scholarships and loans for education of students in science and other areas and for school construction. Hon. LISTER HILL, MARION W. MCCREA, CHICAGO AREA CHAPTER AATSP, Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C. DEAR SENATOR HILL: The Chicago area chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese appreciates your support for the Senate bills granting help on the part of the Federal Government for the expansion and improvement of foreign language study and teaching which will help strengthen the national defense, advance the cause of peace and insure the intellectual preeminence of the United States. We feel that this can be carried out best by promoting the following specific items: (1) Federal subsidy for the promotion of the foreign language in the elementary school program. (2) The establishment of foreign language institutes for the training of teachers and supervisors on all levels. (3) Establishment of research institutes in new educational mediums, and acquisition and development of materials adapted to these new mediums such as language laboratories, audiovisual aids, and television. (4) Grants for travel and study abroad for teachers of foreign languages. (5) Establishment of centers for the study of such languages which are not readily available at the average institutions of higher learning. (6) Adequate professional representation on any and all advisory councils and advisory committees pertaining to foreign language education. We wish to stress that the bill in its final form should include specific provisions for matters concerning foreign languages with specific allocation of adequate funds to set up and maintain these provisions. Finally we request that this organization's letter of support be put in the record of the testimony. DEAR SENATOR HILL: The committee on relationships of higher education to the Federal Government of the American Council on Education met in Washington on March 18 for the consideration of a number of matters affecting higher education. Among the matters receiving the special attention of the committee was title X of Senate bill S. 3187-research and experimentation in more effective *Filed for the record of the hearings on Science and Education for National Defense. utilization of television, radio, motion pictures, and related mediums for educational purposes. I wish to report for the record that the committee voted unanimously to approve and endorse title X of S. 3187 as sound, forward looking, and well designed to meet a major educational need in the United States. We regret that this action of necessity was delayed until after the conclusion of the hearings on education before your committee. This letter, therefore, is sent for your information and for such use as your committee may consider to be appropriate. Sincerely, ARTHUR S. ADAMS. STATEMENT OF THE AMERICAN COUNCIL ON HUMAN RIGHTS ON PROPOSED LEGISLATION TO AID EDUCATION The country today is giving appropriate study to its educational system, both to the program of general education and to special areas like science, language, and mathematics. The American Council on Human Rights, whose constituent organizations number more than 50,000 men and women, commends this interest in strengthening the educational system. Likewise we commend the committee for its careful study of the proposed legislation. This council has also given thought and study to the educational needs of the country, the kinds of programs authorized in the legislation, and the language of the bills. We conclude that the legislation, while strong in many respects, is nevertheless wholly deficient in one area. This council does not believe that today the country can extend any further financial aid to States and school districts which have completely and deliberately defied the decision of the Supreme Court. The Court has decreed that no child shall be denied admission to a school on account of his race. Yet some States have openly declared that they will not abide by the decision and have organized a massive resistance campaign in opposition to the Court and the doctrine. The American Council on Human Rights, organized in 1948 to extend human rights, improve group relations, and end racial discrimination, including racial segregation. We have observed throughout our brief history that racial segregation has meant an inherent inequality. We have noted during this time a progressive reduction in racial segregation. We have noted on many occasions the statements of lawmakers who oppose the use of Federal funds to support or extend racial segregation. We have noted that this is the view also of the President of the United States. Finally, we have observed that the chief offenders in the use of Federal funds in support of segregated program are the States, particularly States along the South Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. We cannot approve therefore any legislation that does not specifically prohibit the use of Federal funds for segregated education, hospitals or airport construction-for some examples. In this instance of legislation before the Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, ACHR strongly opposes legislation that will afford Federal grants to States which officially take a position in opposition to nonsegregated education. We specifically oppose any legislation that permits the States-"in the discretion of the States"-to make use of the Federal moneys. We have no confidence in States that have never afforded equal education on a separate basis. We have no confidence in these States that they will now act to locate potentially able students without regard for race. We have no confidence that the guidance and counseling services will work to locate potentially capable Negro youth or that scholarships will be equally available to Negro youth. We cannot believe with confidence that in the strengthening of mathematics and science teaching the Negro teacher will have the same opportunity. In general, our conclusion is that of the Supreme Court-segregated education is inherently unequal and should not be given any support by Federal grant or other aid. The American Council on Human Rights offers no objection to legislation to strengthen the National Science Foundation and the Office of Education. In fact, we strongly support programs to strengthen our system of education and have set for this year as one of our major areas of activity-a better education for all people. But we cannot believe that such a program of better education will come with Federal aid for segregation. The American Council on Human Rights therefore calls on the committee to amend any and all legislation to prohibit the provision of funds to States and/or school districts which deny a child admission on account of race and oppose the system on nonsegregated schools. PAUL COOKE, Consultant to the Council. CHIEF CLERK, AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION, Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, The Senate, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: On behalf of the American Educational Research Association I am writing you to support the Hill bill, S. 3187, the National Defense Education Act of 1958. Would you be good enough to transmit this letter to the members of the committee considering the bill. It is a letter which speaks for the children and the teachers of the United States, most of whom cannot speak to Congress for themselves. The American Educational Research Association, an organization of research people in school systems, colleges, and universities, since 1915 has been dedicated to the belief that the long-term improvement of education in this country is best based on careful, scientific research into educational problems. The 1,400 members of the organization from all parts of the United States are people who concentrate, not on public debate about educational problems, but on careful study of methods and materials by which children and adolescents. learn best in schools. Accordingly, the association wishes especially to commend provisions of the Hill bill which gives as one of its purposes "to assist teachers to increase their knowledge and improve their effectiveness." The members of the association commend the provisions of the bill dealing with improved student guidance, scholarships, and loan funds, and steps to improve the teaching of mathematics, science, and foreign languages, but it wishes especially to support the proposal that funds be provided for research on the development and use of newer methods and materials of instruction. The association hereby endorses and commends the provisions of the Hill bill which state that the Commissioner of Education is authorized to conduct, assist, and foster research on the development and use of television, radio, motion pictures, and related mediums of communication which may prove of value in education. The association believes that the money provided in the bill for this purpose should be authorized in addition to certain funds for educational research now administered by the Commissioner of Education. At its annual meeting in February 1957, our association passed a resolution favoring the formation of an Institute for Research in Education for stimulation and conduct of research in many educational fields. The members of the association believe that other funds should be made available for research on learning and instruction in areas which extend beyond the use of the mass communications mediums in schoolwork. On behalf of the members of this association who believe in the research approach to educational problems, may I thank you and the members of the committee for your consideration of this letter. Faithfully yours, DAVID H. RUSSELL, President, American Educational Research Association. AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION, Hon. LISTER HILL, Chairman, Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, DEAR SENATOR HILL: This is to express to you, very briefly, the American Farm Bureau Federation policy on Federal aid to general education. We are aware of the great pressure on the committee for time, and are thus asking that this letter be filed as a part of the record before your committee. The 1958 policy of the American Farm Bureau Federation dealing with this matter is as follows: "We are aware of the need to improve our system of public education, and believe that this can be most effectively and adequately met through the utilization of State and local funds and resources. "We need to develop a greater individual appreciation of the problems of education, including the responsibility of parents for student guidance and selectivity of courses, and greater emphasis on high scholastic attainment. "An imperative need of our public schools is the establishment of curriculums which help students to acquire a true concept of the basic principles and philosophy of the American system of self-government and the competitive-enterprise system. We should continue to reappraise the curriculums of our public educational system at all levels to see that they meet our present and future educational needs. "We urge State and county farm bureaus to establish committees to study educational problems. "We maintain that the control, administration, and financing of our publicschool system must remain identified with the smallest unit of government capable of satisfactory performance. "We oppose expanded Federal aid to education. Adequate Federal assistance for school districts experiencing severe financial burdens resulting from Federal projects should be on a grant-in-aid basis. "Federal appropriations for resident instruction in the land-grant colleges should be maintained at the present level." There are, currently, many proposals before the Congress which put the Federal Government into the operation of our local schools. We are opposed to Federal aid to general education, except in federally impacted areas. Certainly. we recognize the need for continually improving our educational system. Through the more than 2,600 county farm bureaus in 48 States, we are giving constant study to the educational programs of our local schools. Our members are dedicated to the job of studying the needs and making recommendations through local, county, and State officials for improving the curriculums and facilities of our public schools in order that every American youngster may have an opportunity to get a good, well-balanced education. With the advent of the sputnik age, advocates of Federal intervention in our educational system took advantage of this situation in making a new approach to Federal aid for education through grants, aids, and scholarships. We recognize that we must, perhaps, give renewed emphasis to some of the more fundamental subjects in our public schools, such as the basic science courses; however, we believe that the community, county, and State are well able to direct and finance an educational program designed to meet the challenge of the rocket age. The American Farm Bureau supports Federal assistance to areas "experienc ing severe financial burdens resulting from Federal projects." For purposes of the record, we would like to make clear that, in our opinion, this type of aid is far different in principle than any nationwide Federal assistance proposals currently under consideration. Arguments in support of aid to these overburdened areas do not question the ability of the area to make adequate provisions for their own school needs. Neither do they deal with the rights and prerogatives of their doing so. The aid so provided is designed to cover only the added costs which Federal activity has actually imposed upon the area. As the representatives of the parents of hundreds of thousands of rural schoolchildren, we in Farm Bureau promise to continue to work with State and local governments toward the necessary improvements in our school systems. The American Farm Bureau Federation views with considerable concern the picture of Federal intervention in an increasing number of fields which were formerly the responsibilities of State and local governments. With the Federal debt at an alltime high, with the Federal budget for fiscal 1959 at an alltime high for a nonwar year, we think that citizens throughout the Nation are becoming more and more conscious of the fact that they don't get something for nothing from Washington. Counties and communities throughout the Nation are spending unprecedented sums for new schoolroom construction, and efforts are being made to increase teachers' salaries and to improve the overall conditions of our schools. Local people understand this challenge, and will meet it through local taxation, without Federal assistance and without Federal controls. With kindest personal regards. Sincerely yours, JOHN C. LYNN, Legislative Director. |