Conant Urges Public School Subsidization

President Conant carried his fight for federal aid to education before a Senate sub-committee yesterday in support of a bill designed to subsidize public schools.

Continuing the theme of his annual report to the Board of Overseers, in which he cited a need for government-sponsored two-year colleges, President Conant labeled the present situation "truly shocking" as he turned his attention to the lack of funds for the nation's grade and high schools.

Cites Financial Figures

In "urging "favorable action" by Congress on Bill S. 472, he produced tables for a Senate committee on education showing that financially poor states are unable to expend enough to give an adequate education to the school child.

The figures for 1944-45, President Conant pointed out, reveal that where New Jersey, in using 1.74 percent of its total income for public schools, provided $198 for each pupil, North Carolina, by expending 1.91 percent for the same purpose, raised $68 per child. "On this point, (that sufficient funds are not available)," said President Conant, "stands the present case for Federal aid."

States Need Stimulus

He said, "To do an adequate job many states need federal funds; in addition they need the stimulus in many cases to do more with their own resources." President Conant followed this statement with a sanction of the proposed legislation approving the plan to grant aid to those states which cannot reach a "safe minimum level" after alloting 2.2 percent of their total income.

Two answers were brought forward by the University president to the question, "Why should the citizens of a relatively wealthy state be taxed to help the edu- cation in poorer states?" He said that 1) the nation's youth are "future citizens of the entire country" and (2) the people of the U. S. are mobile so that the school child of a poor area is the potential inhabitant of a wealthy city.

President-Conant told the committee that the bill seemed to him to be "painstakingly detailed" insuring that federal aid will not mean federal "strings to local schools." He also voiced approval of the stipulation that, in order to receive federal funds, a state must show "reasonable concern for all its children, regardless of race or color."

As an introduction to his statement, President Conant found the importance of education to the nation in two democratic ideals: (1) equality of opportunity and (2) the responsibilities of voters and citizens in "this complicated age."

He called the committee's attention to the uniqueness to the American system of education by referring to the large numbers of the country's youth which new go to high school and beyond, and to the lack of differentiation in American schooling.

"We Americans believe every boy and girl should have a fair chance to develop to the maximum his or her potentialities," he said. "Our public schools are an expression of this belief. They are democratic in their nature and as an ideal they are designed to provide ladders of opportunity for all.