Federal Aid to Education, Hearings on S. 81, S. 170, S. 199, S. 472, S. 1131, and S. 1157, April 9, 21-25, 38-30, May 1-2, 1947

He has always made a very fine, informative statement. Certainly your statement this morning was most excellent.

Dr. NORTON. Thank you very much.

May I ask permission to have inserted in the record some additional charts of this type for the different States, that bring out in another way the disparities in educational support? These two charts merely show this area here as representing the level of support in New York State. This is representative of the State of Mississippi-the same charts that are in the booklet, Unfinished Business in American Education.

Senator AIKEN. Without objection, that will be done.

Dr. NORTON. Thank you very much. Now may I have permission to enter several other charts in the record? Earlier I presented charts for New York State and Mississippi representing two very different types. These additional charts will show some of the variations among the States. All of these charts are in the booklets, which you have, entitled "Unfinished Business in American Education." This bulletin summarizes a much longer and detailed survey.1

(Dr. Norton submitted the New York, Mississippi, and other charts which appear on pages following.)

Senator AIKEN. Are there any other questions to ask of Dr. Norton? If not, we will call the next witness, Mr. Ralph B. Jones, State commissioner of education, Little Rock, Ark.

(Dr. Norton submitted the following brief:)

STATEMENT OF JOHN K. NORTON, Professor of EduCATION, TEACHErs College, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

This testimony deals with the need for Federal financial aid for education, and the need for legislation similar to that proposed in S. 472, Eightieth Congress. Several considerations indicate that these needs exist. These considerations will be dealt with in turn.

I. THERE SHOULD BE FEDERAL AID FOR EDUCATION BECAUSE DENIAL OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY AND GROSS INEQUALITY OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY ARE FAR TOO PREVALENT IN THE UNITED STATES

Astonishing and shocking disparities in the amount and kind of schooling provided American children occur in different sections, States, and localities. These differences range all the way from virtual denial to many children of any opportunity to go to school in some places to the provision of splendid school facilities for all children in other places. That this situation exists has been revealed by a long series of extensive and careful investigations. Let us recall the findings of some of the studies.

The Advisory Committee on Education of the Federal Government arrived at these conclusions: "Education can be made a force to equalize the condition of men. It is no less true that it may be a force to create class, race, and sectional distinctions. The evidence indicates clearly that the schools of the United States, which have hitherto been regarded as the bulwark of democracy, may in fact become an instrument for creating those very inequalities they were designed to prevent. "We must deal, therefore, with a situation in which opportunity is a birthright attached to certain families and certain geographic areas. A child born in those favored places has opportunity plus; one born outside has opportunity minus.1a

1 The Advisory Committee on Education. Report of the Committee. U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C., 1932. Pp. 33 and 39.

1 An Inventory of Public School Expenditures in the United States, by John K. Norton and Eugene S. Lawler. Report of the Cooperative Study of Public School Expenditures, American Council on Education, 744 Jackson Place NW., Washington, D. C., 1944, 1 vol., 409 pp., mimeographed, $3.