Chester High School - Reflector Yearbook (Chester, VA)

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Tiik Refi-kctoh l!) 2t ‘13 EDUCATION, THE SUBJECT OF THE HOUR “Education is the most important subject now demanding the attention of the American people. Take an intelligent, law-abiding, self-supporting, idealistic people and no political, social or international problem is too com- plex. Leave the people in ignorance, superstition and economic thralldom and the nation trembles on the brink of an abyss.’’ The prevailing illiteracy in the United States is alarming. As census figures show our country stands tenth in rank of education and literacy. There are several million adults in our country who are uneducated and the appall- ing fact confronts us that over half of them are native born citizens. These men and women confess that they are illiterate and this means that they are unable to read and write in any language. But we must not get the idea that all the children are educated and only the adults are illiterate, for it is wrong. There are a million boys and girls in our country between ten and fifteen years of age who should be in school but are elsewhere. Evidently something must have come between them and the school house. It has, and we call it child labor. The laws of many States of our Union allow the employment of child- ren in factories or industries before they finish school thus depriving them of their fair share of an opportunity for education. These children are future citizens of our State and nation and if they are allowed to grow up in ignor- ance they swell the number of our illiterates and weaken the foundations of our national life, which is based upon the intelligence of its citizenship. One may point to its distinguished citizens who have been in youth deprived of educational advantages and whose influence in later years was a help to our nation. Abraham Lincoln did not have the advantage of gaining an education but he used his greatest influence in preserving our nation. But we cannot say that the case of Lincoln is true in every instance, because from the time he was president until today we have had great men in office, all of whom had the advantages that Lincoln lacked. They used their influence too — not to preserve but to build up the wonderful government which he used his best efforts to preserve. Of the men who were called to the colors during the great world war it was found that about twenty-five per cent had no education. Many others were unable to read with understanding or express their meaning intelligently in writing. The education of the younger generation is an important subject and should be considered now and not fifty y ' ears hence, after they have become adult illiterates. Many great problems present themselves as a result of illiteracy, but the most serious arise in regard to citizenship and the welfare of the country as a whole. As stated before thousands and thousands of men and women who art citizens of our country are illiterates and are unable to discuss and consider with intelligence the questions of national interest which arise daily.

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The Reflector : 1921 12 es, over precipices, among rapids, and beneath the shade of primeval forest. For this reason, in order to have any success in life, or any worthy success, we must resolve to carry into our work a fullness of knowledge — not merely a sufficiency, but more than a sufficiency. A good education is almost indispensable as an aid to one who is struggling to gain a place in the front rank of the world workers. A b c’s now conquered, and hav- ing advanced a few steps further, can we feel satisfied with what we have done, and lay aside our work? No, we must push on, hoping to attain to a higher eminence. Let this be the clarion call, that comes ringing down the ages, for our guidance, our inspiration, and our promise of future suc- cess — “He, Who Labors, Conquers.” —JULIA SANDERS.

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The Reflector : 1921 11 Notwithstanding the facts that have been mentioned as to the prevalence and disadvantages of illiteracy, there are those who argue that the cost of edu- cation and the attention given it are entirely out of proportion to its impor- tance to the nation, but when we consider it in the light of the startling facts mentioned above, appropriations for education may well be considered as con- tributions to the national defense. It has been said that general and popular intelligence is as necessary for the protection of the nation as are guns, forts, and battleships. As one man expresses it, “Education is a matter that con- cerns the future of the nation as a whole.” In some places people are going so far as to raise the cry that the expen- ditures for the public schools are so great that they are impoverishing the na- tion and that business will no longer tolerate t he heavy burdens of taxation for school purposes. A very careful study of the school costs has revealed the fact that only one per cent of the nation’s wealth is spent for the upkeep of the public schools. The country over, school costs amount to only three cents per person a day. While the cost of schools has increased enormously since 1911, the increase has not been out of proportion to advances in almost all other cost. H ow then can that impoverish a nation as great as ours? These facts and others which might be presented prove that education is a subject of supreme concern to the American people. Several years ago the public paid very little attention to education, but in recent years it has been taken by the government as a national problem. Not only has it become of interest to the national government but the state and local unit of government is realizing more and more the importance of educa- tion. The question is discussed by individuals all over the United States and it is the topic of discussion in many families. The daily papers, standard periodicals, etc. have taken up the subject and are constantly re-echoing that interest. In a few words we may express the idea stated above by saying that education is discussed by the common people all over the great United States. When a question becomes national in its scope ot discussion, as has education, it is indeed the subject of the hour. ElIZ a BETH Ml C H A E L .