Address by Commissioner of Education Earl McGrath, Education and the People
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OCR Page 1 of 16EDUCATION AND THE PEOPLE*
Just one Twook ago today, The New York Times reported that "moro than
ever before in the Nation's history, the public is taking an active interest
in public school education." As evidence of this most welcome development,
Mr. Benjamin Fine, The Times' Education Editor, pointed to approximately
300 'eitisen's groups now in operation, half of then organized within the
past year, all dedicated to the improvement of the schools in their communities.
Summarising a survey of these organisations in typical cities in the Middle
Atlantic area, New England, the South and the Midwest, The Times headline
reads "Wide Citizens' Movement Is Raising the Standards for Educating Our
Youth."
This is indeed heartening news. It reflects, I believe, how keenly
aware our people are of what has been rightly called "the mid-century orisis
in education," and it demonstrates once again--for all the world to see--
America' deep commitment to the democratic process. The very phrase, "oitisens'
novement,' is a capsule definition of democracy, for it is only in the free
society that the individual is at liberty to band together with his fellow men
in a program of social action. And when such a program champions the cause
of better schools, the participating citisens are letting it be known that
they regard education as democracy's first line of defense in its world-wide
conflict with totalitarisnim I seriously doubt if any single chapter in the
story of this country' fight for peace has more far-reaching significance
than this story of community action in the field of education.
*By Earl James McGrath, U. S. Commissioner of Education, Federal Security Agency,
Washington, D. C., delivered by Gallagher at the 22nd Annual Alabama
State Education Conference, University, Alabama, Monday, June 19, 1950.
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