may fulfill its duty to the state by attending a parochial school it is difficult to see why the state may not fulfill its duty to the pupil by encouraging it 'by all suitable means.' The state is under the duty to ignore the child's creed, but not its need. It cannot control what one child may think, but it can and must do all it can to teach the child how to think. The state which allows the pupil to subscribe to any religious creed should not, because of his exercise of this right, proscribe him from benefits common to all." 8 SUMMARY 1. The department of education, NCWC, favors Federal aid to education as a corrective measure for the educational deficiencies in States lacking sufficient taxable resources to provide an adequate education for every child. 2. The department recommends that the Federal Government continue its traditional respect for parental rights in education, and that it pass no bill which directly or indirectly interferes with full freedom of education. 3. The department proposes that the amendment to S. 181 suggested in the separate statement of views in the report accompanying S. 181, Seventy-ninth Congress, be incorporated into S. 472 with the modification that no funds be available for the salaries of teachers in nonpublic schools. This amendment is wholly consistent with the Federal Government's traditional policy of equity in its educational legislation, and with its policy of respect for States' rights in education. 4. The department observes that in the present emergency a compromise bill might be drafted with a dual provision for increases in the salaries of public school classroom teachers and for the reimbursement of both public and nonpublic schools for certain essential services furnished to all the children. APPENDIX Two cautions are recommended in citing the statistics on the estimated savings accruing from the operation of Catholic schools: 1. The per capita expenditure for public education is based on average daily attendance which is generally 10 to 15 per cent lower than enrollment figures. We estimate, however, that this differential is counterbalanced by the fact that in most States the Catholic schools are located in the cities where as a rule the per capita expenditure is higher than in the rural areas. 2. In table III the figures are probably somewhat inflated. Many Catholic school pupils probably could be housed in existing public school facilities without an increased capital outlay for school property. 1 Catholic school enrollment, 1941-42, from Catholic Colleges and Schools in the United States, 1944. NCWC Department of Education. In average daily attendance. Figures from Statistics of State School Systems, 1949-40 and 1941-42. Federal Security Agency, U. S. Office of Education, p. 98, table 28. 3 Catholic school enrollment, 1943-44, from Summary of Catholic Education, 1944-45. NCWC Department of Education. 4 In average daily attendance. Figures from Statistics of State School Systems, 1943-44. Federal Security Agency, U. S. Office of Education, p. 62, table 28. NOTE. In 1944-45 the Catholic school system saved the taxpayers $374,877,327.08, an increase of $56,731,035.25, or 17.8 percent over the savings of 1941-42. 780, 355.83 9,947 93.82 1, 175, 348. 68 11, 661 139, 35 34, 752, 145.38 284, 343 145.28 4, 251, 499. 56 31, 966 162. 13 126, 201.99 2, 365 62.70 750, 763. 60 7,626 135.71 461, 019. 14 8, 332 63.83 1 Summary of Catholic Education, 1944-45, NCC department of education. TABLE III 570, 024 502, 240 1,831, 680 511, 210 6, 717, 692 84,058 175,736, 679 378 1,508 365 1,376 795 2,304 335 1,526 3, 643 1,844 53 1, 586 84, 342 1 Summary of Catholic Education, 1944-45, NCWC, department of education. 1 Statistics of State school systems, 1939-40 and 1941-42, table. 9, p. 60, vol. II, ch. III. 27, 173, 520 2 Statistics of nonpublic elementary and secondary schools, 1940-41, table 2, p. 10, vol. II, ch. IX. 3 Catholic colleges and schools in the United States, 1944, table XXX, p. 63, and table XXXIII, p. 70. 4 Other nonpublic enrollment figures not available for Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, and North Dakota. TABLE V Adjustment of estimated distribution of funds under S. 181 (amended) for public school enrollments |