Adequacy Of Public Education For Negroes Of Jasper County, Texas

Abstract

Statement of Problem As citizens living under a democratic form of government, we are proud of our system of public education. Indeed we boast of our educational progress from 1864 up to the present. But when we consider the figures on illiteracy among the soldiers during the World War on 1918-1919, our pride falls. On the basis of figures 700,00 draftees of the 24,234,021 draftees called up for military services, were found to be illiterate. Likewise, during 1941, the president of The United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, instituted a special educational program for the reduction of illiteracy among selective service registrants rejected for military service, because of inability to pass a fourth-grade examination. 1 In 1930, the last year for which comprehensive figures were available, the United States had 4,283,753 illiterates over ten years of age, or 4,3% of that population age. These illiterates came from all parts of the county and from all classes and groups. World War I and World War II helped us to realize some of the defects of our education and the need for greater effort, especially a need for a wider extension of educational opportunity to all.