Senator COOPER. Now, Senator Donnell, as I understand the act, there is no direct appropriation under this act to any schools, there is no direct appropriation to schools as such, but there is a grant-inaid to the State and that State then acts according to its policies, and those funds will be distributed perhaps to public schools alone or in some instances to public and private or parochial schools; is that correct?

Senator DONNELL. I think that is correct; yes, sir. What I particularly wanted to inquire was whether or not you favor the use of Federal funds by any State for the purpose of paying salaries of teachers in nonpublic educational institutions.

Senator COOPER. I would say that in my personal opinion, no; my personal opinion is that I would say "No."

Senator DONNELL. You would not favor that?

Senator COOPER. I know that that may be a limited view, but it is based upon the Constitution and legal provisions and upon the theory of public education.

On the other hand, if the States, by their interpretation of the law and their own policy, desire to expend money for other schools, I think that is within the power of the States.

Senator DONNELL. But your personal opinion is that it is not advisable that Federal moneys be expended for payment of salaries of teachers of nonpublic educational institutions?

Senator COOPER. That would be my personal opinion.

Senator AIKEN. Is it your opinion that the health of a child in a private school is as important to the country as the health of a child in a nonpublic school?

Senator COOPER. Yes; it is, and I realize that there is some contradiction in what I have said before and in this statement. I base my opinion, though, as I see it, on the accepted constitutional theory that has been followed generally in the country and that the necessity of some place drawing a line between expenditures for public and private purposes, and it is upon that basis I place it. I recognize the great argument upon the other side.

Senator AIKEN. In the event that the United States adopts universal military training and requires a course in military training in the schools, would you exempt the pupils of such schools from such States even though it would necessitate the expenditure of public funds in those schools?

Senator COOPER. No.

Senator AIKEN. I would not, either.

Senator DONNELL. Generally speaking, you are favorable to the theory of the advisability of the separation of church and state? Senator COOPER. Yes, sir; it is based upon that theory.

Senator DONNELL. And that is the theory upon which you base your view that it is not advisable that Federal funds be expended for the payment of salaries of teachers in nonpublic educational institutions?

Senator COOPER. It may be a very legalistic or tenuous position, but I still believe that the gifts to religious schools carry with them the possibility of regulation.

Senator DONNELL. I do not regard that position, personally, as by any means legalistic or tenuous. I think it is sound and based on the general theory of the advisability of the separation of church and state.

an urgent matter Senator Kilgore is not able to be here this morning and I would like to have his statement printed in the record this morning, following Senator Cooper.

Senator AIKEN. Without objection, Senator Kilgore's statement will be included in the record.

(The statement of Senator Kilgore follows:)

STATEMENT ON FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION BY SENATOR HARLEY M. KILGORE

America has slowly awakened to the fact that it faces a crisis in its educational system.

Letters I have received from educators and parents throughout the Nation clearly indicate that, at long last, the Nation realizes that all is not well with our educational system.

Unfortunately, it has taken a series of shocking, unpleasant events to focus Nation-wide attention on the inequities of our school system.

People throughout the Nation are beginning to listen to the educators and legislators who have repeatedly warned that our school system is not measuring up to our ideal democratic standards.

Comparatively recent events have clearly borne out the warnings uttered by many of us during the past. The case of the vanishing teacher, more than anything else, has emphasized the seriousness of the school problem.

Hundreds of teachers are leaving the educational profession each year because of low pay, ill-equipped schools, and unpleasant working conditions.

Today we have far less teachers in the Nations' schools than during a normal year in the 1930's. In addition more than one out of every eight teachers lack the educational or personal qualifications normally required of teachers. School boards have been forced to grant emergency teaching certificates to high-school graduates and they have urged teachers out of retirement and still there are about 75,000 vacancies in the teaching force.

This means that schools have been forced to close or to operate split shifts. Courses have been dropped. Classes have been thrown together until teachers face 40 to 60 pupils instead of the desirable 20 to 25. State school superintendents estimated last fall that nearly 62,000 children were being deprived of schooling because there were not enough teachers or classrooms and the number is now estimated to be nearly 75,000.

The New York Times recently warned: "Confronted by the most acute teacher shortage in the history of American education, the Nation's public school system faces a serious breakdown."

Meanwhile a leading educator, Dr. Harold F. Clark of Teachers College, Columbia University, declared that if the present shortage continues "disastrous educational and social conditions will prevail in a few years."

The exodus from the teaching profession began when wartime industrial wages tempted the low-paid teachers into other work. Many have not returned to the classrooms because they can earn much more money today in other professions. However, this is by no means an entirely new problem.

For many years our schools have been poorly financed. Of course, some States have good schools, but many other States, with comparatively low incomes, have been unable to properly support public schools. And still others have adopted an attitude almost bordering on indifference. As a result, the Nation's educational level is far below what any reasonable person could consider an adequate standard.

Before we consider expenditures for public schools, let's examine a few other facts.

For example, 2,000,000 adults in the United States-the richest nation on earth-have never attended any kind of school. By any kind of school, I mean they have never spent as much as one day on classroom work.

It may also come as a shocking surprise, but 10,000,000 adults cannot read and write well enough to meet the ordinary demands of modern life.

The Nation also should be ashamed of the fact that more than 10,000,000 children between the ages of 6 and 15-school age, mind you-were not in any kind of school in 1940, and the number is even higher today.

Another equally shocking revelation is that during World War II, Selective Service had to reject--because of illiteracy and other educational deficienciesenough men for 20 combat divisions. Yes, I said 20 combat divisions.

These are cold, hard facts that we cannot afford to overlook any longer. This does not mean that the individual States are not interested in improving their schools, but incomes vary in the various States-thus the standards range from good to bad.

West Virginia, for example, spent approximately 2.5 percent of its income for schools during the 1943-44 period, and the amount is even higher today, yet our State was thirty-ninth in the Nation in the amount of average expenditures per child. Our expenditures averaged less than $94 per child in average daily attendance, while other States, with higher incomes, spent a much smaller percent of total income on schools-yet they were able to spend far more per pupil.

This simply boils down to the fact that our State government takes in far less money per capita than many other States. And, as a result, we are the second State in the Nation in the amount of effort-or percentage of income spent on schools—but thirty-ninth in results-or the amount spent per child.

In contrast, New Jersey and New York each spend more than $190 per child, yet this takes only 1.74 percent, and 1.54 percent, respectively, of their total incomes.

They rank first and second in the Nation in the amount of money spent per child. But, they are seventeenth and twenty-ninth, respectively, among the States, in the percentage of toal income expended on schools.

Many States, including West Virginia, are in the unfortunate position of being unable to increase expenditures without drastic new taxes. Many of our leading industries are owned by people who live in other States, and our State receives comparatively little or no income from many sources that normally would help support our State government. The money goes to support schools in other States.

West Virginia is not the only State in this position.

It is quite evident that one of the chief difficulties in financing education is the tax base on which it rests. According to the exhaustive study by the President's Advisory Committee on Education, State and local government's furnished 99.4 percent of tax revenues devoted to public schools in 1936. And three-quarters of the school expenditures came from property taxes, largely those on real estate, which also had to bear the brunt of most other local expenditures. These proportions have not changed greatly in the last decade. In addition to having a limited tax base, school taxes often are limited in amount. By that I mean many States restrict by constitutional provision or by statute the amount of taxes which may be levied on real property. Of course, new tax sources have been utilized in some States in recent months to meet additional school needs. But, generally speaking, the situation has not improved very much.

The solution, in my opinion, lies in Federal aid to education. In making this statement I am well aware that some people picture this proposal as a new bureaucratic idea. Nothing could be further from the truth. The facts are that since Civil War days the Federal Government has aided higher education through landgrant colleges, and since 1917 Federal funds have been available for teaching vocations to high-school students.

The first general Federal aid to education program was proposed that same year. Draft rejections for illiteracy in World War I brought out the inadequate school systems in many States.

Immediately the American Federation of Labor launched a campaign for Federal aid to education, and it has been in the forefront of this battle ever since. During the ensuing years, many educators and public officials joined this worthy drive. Widespread interest was stimulated in 1938 by the report of the President's Advisory Committee on Education which showed the varying ability of the States to finance schools. Unfortunately, legislation was not passed by the Congress. In this respect, the fight has been rather discouraging.

Lengthy hearings have been held in every session of Congress for a decade, but only once-in 1943-did a Federal-aid bill reach the floor, and then after 6 days of debate it was sent back to committee. The opposition claimed that allocation of Federal funds would inevitably involve Federal control of local schools.

During the Seventh-ninth Congress sentiment for Federal aid lined up behind two major bills. One was favorably reported in 1946, but it was lost in the closing-day rush.

Several new measures are now pending in both the House and the Senate. Educators, generally speaking, are supporting S. 472, a clearly drawn measure that would offer Federal funds to provide a minimum floor under our educational system. The State schools would have sole jurisdiction over how the Federal

an urgent matter Senator Kilgore is not able to be here this morning and I would like to have his statement printed in the record this morning, following Senator Cooper.

Senator AIKEN. Without objection, Senator Kilgore's statement will be included in the record.

(The statement of Senator Kilgore follows:)

STATEMENT ON FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION BY SENATOR HARLEY M. KILGORE

America has slowly awakened to the fact that it faces a crisis in its educational system.

Letters I have received from educators and parents throughout the Nation clearly indicate that, at long last, the Nation realizes that all is not well with our educational system.

Unfortunately, it has taken a series of shocking, unpleasant events to focus Nation-wide attention on the inequities of our school system.

People throughout the Nation are beginning to listen to the educators and legislators who have repeatedly warned that our school system is not measuring up to our ideal democratic standards.

Comparatively recent events have clearly borne out the warnings uttered by many of us during the past. The case of the vanishing teacher, more than anything else, has emphasized the seriousness of the school problem.

Hundreds of teachers are leaving the educational profession each year because of low pay, ill-equipped schools, and unpleasant working conditions.

Today we have far less teachers in the Nations' schools than during a normal year in the 1930's. In addition more than one out of every eight teachers lack the educational or personal qualifications normally required of teachers. School boards have been forced to grant emergency teaching certificates to high-school graduates and they have urged teachers out of retirement and still there are about 75,000 vacancies in the teaching force.

This means that schools have been forced to close or to operate split shifts. Courses have been dropped. Classes have been thrown together until teachers face 40 to 60 pupils instead of the desirable 20 to 25. State school superintendents estimated last fall that nearly 62,000 children were being deprived of schooling because there were not enough teachers or classrooms and the number is now estimated to be nearly 75,000.

The New York Times recently warned: "Confronted by the most acute teacher shortage in the history of American education, the Nation's public school system faces a serious breakdown."

Meanwhile a leading educator, Dr. Harold F. Clark of Teachers College, Columbia University, declared that if the present shortage continues "disastrous educational and social conditions will prevail in a few years."

The exodus from the teaching profession began when wartime industrial wages tempted the low-paid teachers into other work. Many have not returned to the classrooms because they can earn much more money today in other professions. However, this is by no means an entirely new problem.

For many years our schools have been poorly financed.

Of course, some States

have good schools, but many other States, with comparatively low incomes, have been unable to properly support public schools. And still others have adopted an attitude almost bordering on indifference. As a result, the Nation's educational level is far below what any reasonable person could consider an adequate standard.

Before we consider expenditures for public schools, let's examine a few other facts.

For example, 2,000,000 adults in the United States-the richest nation on earth-have never attended any kind of school. By any kind of school, I mean they have never spent as much as one day on classroom work.

It may also come as a shocking surprise, but 10,000,000 adults cannot read and write well enough to meet the ordinary demands of modern life.

The Nation also should be ashamed of the fact that more than 10,000,000 children between the ages of 6 and 15-school age, mind you-were not in any kind of school in 1940, and the number is even higher today.

Another equally shocking revelation is that during World War II, Selective Service had to reject-because of illiteracy and other educational deficiencies— enough men for 20 combat divisions. Yes, I said 20 combat divisions.

These are cold, hard facts that we cannot afford to overlook any longer. This does not mean that the individual States are not interested in improving their schools, but incomes vary in the various States-thus the standards range from good to bad.

West Virginia, for example, spent approximately 2.5 percent of its income for schools during the 1943-44 period, and the amount is even higher today, yet our State was thirty-ninth in the Nation in the amount of average expenditures per child. Our expenditures averaged less than $94 per child in average daily attendance, while other States, with higher incomes, spent a much smaller percent of total income on schools—yet they were able to spend far more per pupil.

This simply boils down to the fact that our State government takes in far less money per capita than many other States. And, as a result, we are the second State in the Nation in the amount of effort-or percentage of income spent on schools-but thirty-ninth in results-or the amount spent per child.

In contrast, New Jersey and New York each spend more than $190 per child, yet this takes only 1.74 percent, and 1.54 percent, respectively, of their total incomes.

They rank first and second in the Nation in the amount of money spent per child. But, they are seventeenth and twenty-ninth, respectively, among the States, in the percentage of toal income expended on schools.

Many States, including West Virginia, are in the unfortunate position of being unable to increase expenditures without drastic new taxes. Many of our leading industries are owned by people who live in other States, and our State receives comparatively little or no income from many sources that normally would help support our State government. The money goes to support schools in other States.

West Virginia is not the only State in this position.

It is quite evident that one of the chief difficulties in financing education is the tax base on which it rests. According to the exhaustive study by the President's Advisory Committee on Education, State and local government's furnished 99.4 percent of tax revenues devoted to public schools in 1936. And three-quarters of the school expenditures came from property taxes, largely those on real estate, which also had to bear the brunt of most other local expenditures.

These proportions have not changed greatly in the last decade. In addition to having a limited tax base, school taxes often are limited in amount.

By that

I mean many States restrict by constitutional provision or by statute the amount of taxes which may be levied on real property. Of course, new tax sources have been utilized in some States in recent months to meet additional school needs. But, generally speaking, the situation has not improved very much.

The solution, in my opinion, lies in Federal aid to education. In making this statement I am well aware that some people picture this proposal as a new bureaucratic idea. Nothing could be further from the truth. The facts are that since Civil War days the Federal Government has aided higher education through landgrant colleges, and since 1917 Federal funds have been available for teaching vocations to high-school students.

The first general Federal aid to education program was proposed that same year. Draft rejections for illiteracy in World War I brought out the inadequate school systems in many States.

Immediately the American Federation of Labor launched a campaign for Federal aid to education, and it has been in the forefront of this battle ever since. During the ensuing years, many educators and public officials joined this worthy drive. Widespread interest was stimulated in 1938 by the report of the President's Advisory Committee on Education which showed the varying ability of the States to finance schools. Unfortunately, legislation was not passed by the Congress. In this respect, the fight has been rather discouraging.

Lengthy hearings have been held in every session of Congress for a decade, but only once-in 1943-did a Federal-aid bill reach the floor, and then after 6 days of debate it was sent back to committee. The opposition claimed that allocation of Federal funds would inevitably involve Federal control of local schools.

During the Seventh-ninth Congress sentiment for Federal aid lined up behind two major bills. One was favorably reported in 1946, but it was lost in the closing-day rush.

Several new measures are now pending in both the House and the Senate. Educators, generally speaking, are supporting S. 472, a clearly drawn measure that would offer Federal funds to provide a minimum floor under our educational system. The State schools would have sole jurisdiction over how the Federal