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W. Earl Hall World War II stories, 1944
1944-09-19 Letter #33
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slug-Great Changes-4 Passed for Publication 19 Sep 1944 By W. EARL HALL Globe-Gazette Managing Editor Letter No. 33 London, England (Air Mail Special)--England is on the eve of a change in its secondary school system which in many respects is of a pronouncedly revolutionary character. I learned about it, in the broad outline, at least, in an hour's visit with D. H. Leadbetter, public relations officer for the British ministry of education. The law authorizing the sweeping changes became effective on Aug 4 of this year but conditions arising from the war, understandably, will postpone putting the program into full operation for several months. In the new plan 2 purposes are central: 1, to broaden the base and make education, of a selective nature, available to a greater number of children; 2, to raise the age from 14 to 16 years for compulsory school attendance. The latter goal is to be reached by progressive steps. Between April, 1945, and April, 1947, the age will be changed from 14 to 15 years. Later, as soon as practicable, the extra year will be added. This increased school age limit is expected to have important indirect effects on England's entire wage structure and standard of living. Always in the past, both boys and girls have been apprenticed out at age 14 at a very low rate of pay. They could live at home and their earnings were merely added to the family exchequer. With the age for discontinuing school moved up 2 years in the future, the work they have been doing will have to be done by older hands, with the inevitable result that the wage paid will be higher. Three obstacles block the way to an immediate putting into effect of the new educational program. First, of course, is the war and the country's imperative need for a maximum of manpower. Second, will be the construction o necessary school buildings. Third, the training of teachers. "And you'll be interested to know," Mr. Leadbetter observed, "that of the 3, the last is the most difficult of solution. We're going to have to train a lot of teachers--75,000 to 100,000--in a hurry." Maintaining a teaching staff during the war has been extremely difficult here, as in America. Some 20,000 men teachers have gone into service--all physically fit men under 35 except for principals, who have been required to remain in their professions if over 30. Bringing over-age teachers back into service has been the principal means of meeting this situation. Women teachers have not been permitted to join the Wrens and the other more glamorous branches of service. Plans are well under way for setting up an emergency system of teacher training colleges throughout the island from which it is expected to turn out 10,000 teachers every year. Those qualified for admittance to these schools will be permitted to priority in their discharge from the armed forces. Under the new system, children between 5 and 11 will be given the same type of education. At this point, by tests and in other ways, it will be determined whether the individual boy or girl should proceed toward training for the professions, training for crafts or proceed with a general education, with emphasis on citizenship. Whereas up to now the allocation of school support fund has been about 50-50 as between the government and the local taxing body, under the new program the government will pay about 75 per cent, with a proportionate increase of authority in the ministry of education. The total cost of education will be about double what it has been in the past. Men teachers in high schools now receive about $1,200 a year, women about $1,000, after 5 years of teaching. In grade schools it's about 30 per cent less. Under the new plan this differential as between grade and high school will be eliminated. A general retirement system is already in effect. There is an automatic increase for each additional year of service up to about 20. Up to now wealth and class have been important factors in determining how much education a child could obtain. From now on a more democratic basis is to prevail. The American pattern has bee studied more than a little, I learned. -- 30 --
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slug-Great Changes-4 Passed for Publication 19 Sep 1944 By W. EARL HALL Globe-Gazette Managing Editor Letter No. 33 London, England (Air Mail Special)--England is on the eve of a change in its secondary school system which in many respects is of a pronouncedly revolutionary character. I learned about it, in the broad outline, at least, in an hour's visit with D. H. Leadbetter, public relations officer for the British ministry of education. The law authorizing the sweeping changes became effective on Aug 4 of this year but conditions arising from the war, understandably, will postpone putting the program into full operation for several months. In the new plan 2 purposes are central: 1, to broaden the base and make education, of a selective nature, available to a greater number of children; 2, to raise the age from 14 to 16 years for compulsory school attendance. The latter goal is to be reached by progressive steps. Between April, 1945, and April, 1947, the age will be changed from 14 to 15 years. Later, as soon as practicable, the extra year will be added. This increased school age limit is expected to have important indirect effects on England's entire wage structure and standard of living. Always in the past, both boys and girls have been apprenticed out at age 14 at a very low rate of pay. They could live at home and their earnings were merely added to the family exchequer. With the age for discontinuing school moved up 2 years in the future, the work they have been doing will have to be done by older hands, with the inevitable result that the wage paid will be higher. Three obstacles block the way to an immediate putting into effect of the new educational program. First, of course, is the war and the country's imperative need for a maximum of manpower. Second, will be the construction o necessary school buildings. Third, the training of teachers. "And you'll be interested to know," Mr. Leadbetter observed, "that of the 3, the last is the most difficult of solution. We're going to have to train a lot of teachers--75,000 to 100,000--in a hurry." Maintaining a teaching staff during the war has been extremely difficult here, as in America. Some 20,000 men teachers have gone into service--all physically fit men under 35 except for principals, who have been required to remain in their professions if over 30. Bringing over-age teachers back into service has been the principal means of meeting this situation. Women teachers have not been permitted to join the Wrens and the other more glamorous branches of service. Plans are well under way for setting up an emergency system of teacher training colleges throughout the island from which it is expected to turn out 10,000 teachers every year. Those qualified for admittance to these schools will be permitted to priority in their discharge from the armed forces. Under the new system, children between 5 and 11 will be given the same type of education. At this point, by tests and in other ways, it will be determined whether the individual boy or girl should proceed toward training for the professions, training for crafts or proceed with a general education, with emphasis on citizenship. Whereas up to now the allocation of school support fund has been about 50-50 as between the government and the local taxing body, under the new program the government will pay about 75 per cent, with a proportionate increase of authority in the ministry of education. The total cost of education will be about double what it has been in the past. Men teachers in high schools now receive about $1,200 a year, women about $1,000, after 5 years of teaching. In grade schools it's about 30 per cent less. Under the new plan this differential as between grade and high school will be eliminated. A general retirement system is already in effect. There is an automatic increase for each additional year of service up to about 20. Up to now wealth and class have been important factors in determining how much education a child could obtain. From now on a more democratic basis is to prevail. The American pattern has bee studied more than a little, I learned. -- 30 --
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