2. The occupations listed are only attained after years of practical experience at high levels of skill. The preceding types of work on which the individual developed his skill may vary greatly and not until the later stages of his development is there necessarily any clear-cut realtionship between his work and the job content of the critical occupation on which he is becoming qualified. There is a further consideration; namely, essential occupations have been limited to defense industries or activities. Industries and activities not so classified have nevertheless for the most part been considered defense supporting, either wholly or in some substantial degree. Particularly, in the absence of war, these other industries and activities contribute substantially to the economic well-being of our Nation and are the training ground and means of gainful employment of those who would later become defense workers should the need arise. We believe that experts in this field from the Department of Labor would also support the contention that to limit vocational training, consisting of lessthan-college-grade courses, to courses clearly identifiable with the established list of essential occupations would severely and undesirably limit the application of this title. It is suggested, therefore, that the language of this title be so modified as to make it applicable to any recognized vocational education programs having to do with any field of training which is considered important and appropriate. This might include any phase of applied science, any subject matter pertaining to production or other manufacturing operations, or the installation, repair and maintenance of products, and similar subjects. CONCLUSION In this statement we have noted how, in our opinion, certain phases of the measure before you may be particularly helpful in meeting some of the present urgent needs. We have also undertaken to call attention to certain other phases which we believe need to be modified if they are to have the intended effect with a minimum of delay and expense, and the maximum of desired results. We hope that this information will be helpful to the committee in its deliberations. Respectfully submitted. WILLIAM C. BABBITT, Hon. CARL ELLIOTT, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Special Education, Washington, D. C. DEAR REPRESENTATIVE ELLIOTT: National Sales Executives, Inc., is the only national or international organization concerned with the advancement of all phases of sales management, marketing, and distribution. It was founded in 1936 to promote better standards of living for everyone through better selling. It has over 30,000 executive members and 214 affiliated sales executives clubs throughout the United States, Canada, South America, Mexico, Europe, Australia, and other countries. In line with President Eisenhower's request that Congress implement a program of aptitude testing and vocational guidance among high-school students for the purpose of discovering scientific talent, the NSE board of directors adopted a resolution at their February meeting in Chicago, authorizing the appointment of a committee to offer assistance, advice, and counsel in the development of legislation and the implementation of programs which seek to determine the aptitudes of youth and provide constructive guidance for adult careers. A copy of this resolution is attached. NSE believes that an aptitude testing program for the country's high-school students should be broadened to include testing for all aptitudes in the family of occupations, i. e., the arts, science, literature, sales, marketing, etc. While aptitude tests are no guaranty of a successful choice of careers, experience with them has shown that they can help eliminate much wasted time through trial and error methods on the part of young people seeking to find a satisfying career. If we can help develop a program that will assist our young people to find themselves, we will have accomplished our purpose. As chairman of this NSE committee, I would be most grateful for an opportunity to be heard by you and your committee in Washington, at your convenience, to offer our assistance, advice, and counsel to the Government in the development of legislation and the implementation of programs which seek to determine the aptitudes of youth. Very truly yours, CLIFTON W. JACOBS, NSE Director of Service for Education. RESOLUTION PASSED BY NSE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT CHICAGO MEETING, FEBRUARY 17, 1958 Whereas National Sales Executives, Inc. has a vital and continuing interest in the welfare of the youth of America; and Whereas all businessmen share a responsibility to help prepare youth for the challenges they will meet when they take their respective places in our economic and political systems; and Whereas National Sales Executives long has supported vocational guidance programs in our educational system as an important technique for guiding youth to careers which utilize their varying talents to maximum advantage; and Whereas all youth in American society has an equal right to the benefits of our educational system without preference for, nor prior claim by, any group; and Whereas legislation is being considered to screen the youth of America for the purpose of determining those best qualified for careers in science and engineering: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That National Sales Executives urges the Congress to adopt a policy to the end that any program to ascertain vocational aptitudes be broad enough to determine the best careers for all students; and be it further Resolved, That National Sales Executives reaffirms its belief in the importance of promoting careers in sales, marketing and distribution to stimulate the movement of goods and services in order to maintain maximum employment and a vigorous economy; and be it further Resolved, That the president of National Sales Executives be authorized to appoint a committee to offer aid, advice, and counsel in the development of legislation and in the implementation of programs which seek to determine the aptitudes of youth and provide constructive guidance for adult careers; and that nothing contained in this resolution shall be construed as support of the expansion of the Federal Government's influence in education at the State and local level. NATIONAL SALES EXECUTIVES, INC., Hon. CARL ELLIOTT, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Special Education, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: Supplementing our letter of March 26 with accompanying resolution (copy of letter and resolution attached) and in the interests of making more realistic and economically sound any legislation which may emanate from the administration's proposed program of strengthening our national security by increasing the supply of highly trained, high quality, professional personnel, in science, engineering, and other critical skills, and as your committee is presently considering legislation, it seems reasonable to assume that the following logical suggestions will be helpful. According to the Educational Testing Service, Princeton, N. J., "Among those students who graduate in the upper fourth of their class, more than 1 out of 3 do not go to college. Altogether, in round numbers, 200,000 of these ablest students now stop their education before going on to institutions of higher learning." The Nation simply cannot afford to continue such a tragic waste of its most valuable resource-the talents of its young people. Many intellectually able young people drop out of school chiefly because of lack of desire or incentive for education. Therefore, the importance of encouraging earlier, improved, and more systematic testing of the abilities and aptitudes of students is paramount. The early identification of talent through a career guidance program would provide an opportunity for teachers, school counselors, parents, and the community at large to encourage young people to remain in high school, to work hard at the basic academic subjects, and to prepare for higher education. It is this latter phase of the plan which really holds the key to the development of a program which will increase the highly trained personnel in the sciences, engineering, and other critical skills, such as marketing, distribution, and selling. The basic objective of our competitive enterprise economic system is a higher standard of living for everyone through the production, distribution, and marketing of wanted merchandise and services, along with economic and national security and freedom. The problem in the United States is not production. We are producing at the rate of some $436 billion in goods and services a year. The real concern of industry is the facility with which we are able to market this vast increasing volume of merchandise. At the same time, we are developing scientific and engineering skills, we should be developing the equally needed and important professional marketing, distributing, and selling brains. The one cannot thrive without the other. While we are developing a program for career guidance at the high-school level for scientists, let us include other professional crafts such as marketing and really obtain the full benefit by having a complete survey of the youth of America. Only in this way can we insure to the Government, industry, and the public a continuing supply of highly trained, professional craftsmen in many fields. We need more teachers of science in order to educate any great number of prospective students. We need more teachers of marketing before we can do full justice to the opportunity there is in the industrial world for young men and women who have the capacity for business. Therefore, we suggest a broad program of career guidance for all youth at the secondary school level. This will prevent the waste of talent which comes from handpicking the student body for one specific professional need, thus relegating the others to the problem of finding, by trial and error, their own particular niche in society. There is no short cut to national security. To maintain it over the years, along with universal peace, is a vast undertaking and will cost a great deal of money. Yet, there is a worthy purpose for such investment. Our principal source of wealth in the United States comes from industry. Over the years, much of the scientific discovery, research, and development aimed at the betterment of man is also the result of industrial know-how. The big job now is how and where to market the output of our increased productive power so that we can continue to finance our national security and a better world. Industry needs the opportunity to tap all sources of professional skills represented by American youth. Very truly yours, CLIFTON W. JACOBS, NSE Director of Service for Education. STATEMENT OF EDWARD G. RAMBERG, PRESIDENT, SOCIETY FOR SOCIAL RESPON SIBILITY IN SCIENCE, MARCH 2, 1958 The council of the Society for Social Responsibility in Science, an association of between 400 and 500 scientists, engineers, and physicians concerned that the fruits of science be applied to the benefit of mankind and never to its harm, urges that measures for the advancement of education consider improvement of the entire educational process and not limit themselevs to the increase of specific technical proficiencies. Our most urgent problem is how to get along with other people, not how to destroy them. The humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciencesboth through the improvement of the physical conditions of life and by their emphasis on the unemotional, objective consideration of the questions that face us-can all help with this problem. Educational institutions should seek to convey to students a picture of the world in all its aspects and instill in them a sense of mission and adventure. This requires teachers of stature and dedication. Increased financial rewards 98049-58-pt. 3—48 would help to attract men and women with the proper qualifications into the teaching profession, particularly when such increased rewards are coupled with increased social esteem. Aid to the small, liberal arts college, in which many of our best teachers function at present, could materially increase their effectiveness and add to the number of scientists, scholars, and citizens well prepared to take their part in our democratic society. Finally, scholarships to students who exhibit unusual ability and interest in learning-not only in science and technology-can help to raise the level of our educational institutions. Hon. GRAHAM A. BARDEN, INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, Chairman, House Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: I regret that it is impossible for me to be in Washington for the special hearing because of engagements in New York. Accordingly, I am writing to make three points: 1. It is universally recognized that no quantitative progress in the technological and scientific fields will be made without a substantial increase in the teaching personnel especially at the high-school level. 2. We already have in the former personnel, especially of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, veterans, men of good technical training, strong personal character and leadership qualities. Many men could be recruited and quickly prepared to handle high-school teaching assignments in the basic fields of science and mathematics. 3. No other program can be undertaken for the high-school level which will produce results so promptly. Not only is this a matter of the time factor in marshalling a teaching staff, but there is also the factor of motivation. The military service background will not only give the teachers an understanding of the significance of their work but will bring to bear on the rising generation a type of leadership and commitment for the future which will hold thousands of the students dedicated to the development of scientific careers. As a boy I spent a year in a German public school. Half of my teachers, including some of the best teachers and most vigorous personalities, were military veterans and reserve officers. Their impact on the student body was impressive to me even then. I believe something of this can be brought into the American public school system through the general program which has been put forward by William A. F. Stephenson. Believe me, Yours very truly, Hon. GRAHAM A. BARDEN, LUTHER GULICK, President. HARVARD UNIVERSITY, GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. BARDEN: I understand that your Committee on Education and Labor is considering the possibility of bills which would provide funds in support of the training of military personnel who have retired from the service and who would like to prepare themselves for teaching in the schools of the Nation. I have had a chance to talk about these bills with Mr. William A. F. Stevenson and also to discuss them with several of my colleagues here. We are heartily in favor of this movement. It seems clear to me that for many years there will be need in the public schools of men who have had the kind of training and background provided by a military career. This is of course especially true in connection with science and mathematics where the need of well-trained personnel in the schools is now unquestioned. As far as I know, for many men just retiring from the service, the chances of obtaining the necessary training are not good unless some kind of special arrangements can be made on their behalf. In short, I am heartily in favor of the effort and I hope that you and your colleagues will be able to give the matter serious consideration. Sincerely yours, FRANCIS KEPPEL. Hon. CARL ELLIOTT, NEW YORK STATE FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S CLUBS, Chairman, House Education and Labor Committee, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN ELLIOTT: As president of the New York State Federation of Women's Clubs, we wish to express to your briefly the New York State Federations' policy on Federal Aid to Education. The following resolution passed in 1952, November, and reaffirmed in November 1956 conventions states clearly that the New York State Federation of Women's Clubs opposes Federal aid to education. "Whereas our Senators, Representatives, and the general public are being requested to extend Federal Air to Education; and "Whereas grants of money derived from Federal taxation merely disguise the cost, but do not lessen the ultimate burden upon our national economy; and "Whereas Federal grants for education logically may result in Federal control of education: Now, therefore, be it "Resolved, That the New York State Federation of Women's Clubs in convention assembled November 1952 affirms its belief in our traditional American principles and policies of State and local support and control of, and responsibility for, education, and urges the Congress to reject provisions for Federal aid to education; and be it further "Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to New York State Representatives in Congress." Resolution, reaffirmed at the annual convention of the New York State Federation of Women's Clubs, held in Binghamton, November 12-15, 1956. We strongly oppose Federal aid for education, our position is based on the following facts: First: Every Federal-aid program costs the people of New York State more in Federal taxes than this State gets back in Federal aid. Second: If tax money is collected in New York and spent for schools in other States, it would enable those States to build their schools partly at our expense and thus keep their own taxes low. Third: When other States and their localities are able to keep their own taxes low compared with the high taxes in New York State, they use the lure of those low taxes to induce business and industry to move from New York State or to locate their new plants and factories in those States instead of New York. The New York Legislature has approved a program for a $53 million increase in State aid for education to carry out the State regents expanded educational program is evidence that Federal aid to education is both unwise and unnecessary. This expanded program of State aid covers education at all levels from elementary school through college. Under the proposed Federal-aid bill rejected by Congress in 1957, New York would have received $15,765,000 for school construction. The tax burden imposed upon the State's taxpayers as a part of the national program would have been $48,122,000 which would have represented a net loss to the State of $32,357,000 of taxpaying ability. To determine how various States would fare under this bill, we checked school-aid allotments for individual States with the estimated amount of Federal taxes collected in each State to pay for the program; 14 States and the District of Columbia would pay out a total of $28 million more than they would receive in the first year of operation. New York State would be the biggest loser, paying out $8,540,000 more in taxes than it would get back for school aid. Earlier in the session of the State legislature this year they increased the State scholarship program. Through the above legislation in New York State, the people of our State have demonstrated their willingness and desired to provide adequate educational opportunities for their children. Until it is demonstrated that other States have exerted similar effort, there is no justification for a Federal-aid bill which would take millions of dollars away from the people of New York State to give to other States. |