We enroll approximately 250,000 different adults in the educational classes that are offered from elementary level through the junior college in the city of Los Angeles each year. This is a significant number, I grant you, but we are not meeting the entire need that is now upon us there. We do maintain waiting lists of people who want instruction in our 27 adult schools, and at this time, I am estimating that there are about 5,000 who are unable to enroll due to the fact we have the physical facilities and plant, we do not have the number of dollars necessary to hire teachers.

Mr. PERKINS. In other words, bluntly speaking, you have a waiting list of approximately 5,000 at the adult basic education level who are seeking to improve their education?

Dr. SMITH. That is true.

Mr. PERKINS. And they are not able to enter?

Dr. SMITH. That's right. The census figures of 1960 show that in the city of Los Angeles there are approximately 227,000 adults who have less than an eighth-grade education.

We are serving at this time about 27,000. It is about 15 percent of our total program. I was asking the assistant superintendent in San Francisco how many he was serving, and approximately 25 percent of his program is going into this aspect.

I am not going to speak for San Francisco, however.

As you can see, if you take the 27,000 from the 227,000, there are 200,000 people in the city of Los Angeles that are not receiving the type of educational opportunity or instruction that will raise them up to the equivalent of an eighth grade educational attainment.

We have recognized through the Manpower Development Training Act that was passed last year by the Congress, and now in operation in a pilot or small way in Los Angeles, that there are many people who are not able to meet the specifications and qualifications for employment because they do not have basic literacy techniques, they don't have basic skills to qualify them for employment. So we know that these 200,000 need to be served.

We also are aware of recent research by sociologists which indicates that no educational institution is reaching the lower one-third of the populace of the United States who have less than fifth, fourth, seventh, eighth grade level-wherever you want to cut it-no education institution is reaching these people.

It is going to take new techniques and a concerted effort on the part of the Federal Government and from educators from the States to reach these people if we are going to take them from the unemployed rolls and put them into those positions that will put them back into productive efforts.

Mr. PERKINS. How do you see this bill assisting that group of adults in their education that we are not now reaching, Dr. Smith?

Dr. SMITH. From the point of view of Los Angeles, this will permit us to serve the part of that 5,000. Even with the amount that is being provided in this bill, we won't be able to pick up the entire 5,000 that are on waiting lists, but the thing that I think is important from my point of view is that this will be an incentive on the part of the Federal Government for States such as California to provide for the education of adults.

At the present time, we operate educational opportunities for adults either through the united district or through the junior college districts, but there is no provision in the State law which is specifically for adults.

The Federal Government is now recognizing that specific educational opportunities for adults must be supported, and a taxing authority and a provision to finance that education of adults. This is what I think is important.

Mr. PERKINS. You have had a chance to glance at the entire bill, have you, Dr. Smith?

Dr. SMITH. Yes, I have.

Mr. PERKINS. I presume you have looked it over very carefully, being an educator?

Dr. SMITH. That is right.

Mr. PERKINS. What is your judgment on the omnibus bill, sir?

Dr. SMITH. I have that as part of the statement. I would put it somewhat in these words, Chairman Perkins, that while title 6 is, as an adult educator, of particular interest to adult education administrators in California, we don't want to think of it out of context to the comprehensive educational program provided for in the bill.

The need to strengthen elementary, secondary, higher education, vocational education, and the interrelated facilities of the libraries, will be met through the provisions of this bill.

We think that it is a comprehensive package, that it was well thought out; it was conceived to do the entire job, not to do any little one particular segment or another, or to give priority, but this is a well thought out bill in order to give aid to the total educational process, of people on all levels of attainment in the United States. I think you are to be commended for putting together a bill of this nature.

Mr. PERKINS. We hope to hold it together. I just don't know how long we can maintain the status quo of the present bill with the hope of getting suitable legislation enacted, but I feel good about this omnibus approach.

I think it is the correct approach. I do not think that we can divide it up and determine priorities when elementary-secondary is just as important as higher education, and vice versa.

Dr. SMITH. That's right. We have had some experience with the comprehensive concept of education in Los Angeles City schools. We recognize that without an educated parent, you attempt to educate a child and you have great difficulties, so through our operation in adult education of parent education, in which we attempt to work with the parent of the child at the same time we educate the child, you get a much happier situation, and a much better learning situation for both of them.

So I see nothing but good from this type of an approach in the bill. Mr. PERKINS. I think the comprehensive approach is becoming more popular on this committee. When we opened up hearings, it was lambasted all around the table, but right now, I think we are gaining support for this omnibus approach, and I am hopeful that we can hold on to it.

Be that as it may, I am deeply interested and concerned about the necessity of the adult basic education provision. We have so many coal miners in my area that are interested in furthering their educa

tion. Back in those days when the mines were running well, and education was not necessary, they could go in the mines and make a living, send their children to school. When those rail mines all closed down, many found themselves 40, 50, 60 years of age, without much education. The majority of those people want to improve their educational standards, because they are realizing that more education is necessary to obtain a job today.

Dr. SMITH. Right.

Mr. PERKINS. I see nothing but good in this adult education provision and I am thankful that you have come to give us the benefit of your views.

Dr. SMITH. Thank you.

One other thing, I would like to add, if I might, Chairman Perkins, is that I see a value of this particular bill in this way: We in Los Angeles City schools are granting to adults high school diplomas, and one out of every eight high school diploma that is granted to any person in Los Angeles, including youth, is given to an adult, so we are picking up the school dropout.

We did run a survey of our graduating class. We graduated 2,600 adults in the education program of the city schools last year; 39 percent of them were dropouts of the day high school program, so this is their second chance. They are being picked up.

I recognize that the bill, as written, provides for less than eighth grade. Well that is fine, because we will be able to put this money into the less than eighth grade, and use more to be able to provide educational opportunity for those that are beyond the eighth grade. We did graduate, I might add, about 700 people from eighth grade in Los Angeles last year.

So the interest is there. The people want to have the instruction. Our main barrier or block, I guess I should say is to hire the teachers to do the job.

Mr. PERKINS. Do you see this particular adult education provision in the bill as generating interest, creating interest at the local level, and stimulating school people at the local level and at the State level to do something for adult basic education? I mean, more than they have been doing.

Dr. SMITH. I am sure that if there are funds available to operate programs that the incentive is built into adult educators and others who have a dedication, a zeal for education, they feel as most persons do, this is the answer to getting to progress.

Mr. PERKINS. I primarily meant in the areas where we do not have any adult basic education schools. We have so many States where they are only trying it out on a trial run basis-three or four pilot projects, I think, and in a few none-but in those States, this provision in this bill would stimulate an interest in adult basic education. Is that your view?

Dr. SMITH. It is my view. I am on the board of directors of the National Association of Public School Adult Educators, and I may be inaccurate by a State or so, but I believe there are only about 13 to 15 States that are providing educational opportunities for adults.

This bill, I am sure, will stimulate the kind of interest we need to establish the framework to get basic education made available to adults in the other States.

Mr. PERKINS. Mr. Brown?

Mr. BROWN. Just one question, and I know this is not in your direct sphere of responsibility, but I had, during my period in the State legislature, taken a considerable interest in the development of additional opportunities for the severely mentally retarded, which Los Angeles City has gone into on a little larger scale.

Can you tell me if this program is definitely going and if this bill holds some promise for giving additional assistance for the development of this type of a program?

Dr. SMITH. I don't know as I know that answer.

Mr. BROWN. Do you know anything about the number of classes that Los Angeles is giving, or offering this year for the point 2? Dr. SMITH. May I ask our reference here?

Mrs. TINGLOFF. Three.

Mr. PERKINS. Just a little bit louder.

Dr. SMITH. Mrs. Tingloff, who is president of our board of education, indicated that we have three classes for the severely mentally retarded, none in the State of California as a point 2 program.

Mr. BROWN. Well, may I express my disappointment that you do not have more than three and the hope that this bill will provide some assistance to this rather neglected area of public education.

Dr. SMITH. It is a neglected area, Mr. Brown, I agree with you, and I rode to San Francisco on a plane recently with a woman who had a child severely mentally retarded, and she was as much interested as you, or more, I suppose, in this particular program, and I am sure that there is a lot of desire in the citizens of not only California but the Nation that this type of person is going to have an educational program made available to him that is adapted to his needs.

Mr. BROWN. I have no further questions.

Mr. PERKINS. Do you have with you there a special report on adult basic education or mental retardation?

Dr. SMITH. No, I don't. I do not.

Mr. PERKINS. Again, Dr. Smith, I wish to thank you. Your testimony has been helpful, and I might add that Mr. Brown has just recently become a member of this general subcommittee on education. He will be working diligently to try to be of great assistance to the city of Los Angeles.

Dr. SMITH. I have known Mr. Brown from his excellent work in the Assembly of the State of California, and he does represent or formerly represented that assembly district which encompassed the board of education offices of the city of Los Angeles. So we are pretty well acquainted.

Mr. PERKINS. I understand that Mr. Bell likewise is on this subcommittee, and he is on the minority side.

Again, thank you. We will recess until next Tuesday morning. (Whereupon, at 12:55 p.m., the hearing was recessed to reconvene at 9:45 Tuesday, February 26, 1963.)

NATIONAL EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT ACT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1963

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR,

Washington, D.C.

The committee met at 10:25 a.m., pursuant to recess, in room 429, Cannon Building, Hon. Dominick V. Daniels presiding.

Present: Representatives Daniels, Carey, Hawkins, Gibbons, Brown, and Quie.

Staff members present: Betty Pryor, clerk, Special Subcommittee on Education; and William O'Hara, counsel, Special Subcommittee on Education.

Mr. DANIELS. The committee will come to order.

Our first witness this morning is Mr. Clarence Mitchell, director of the Washington bureau, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Mr. Mitchell, will you step forward, please?

STATEMENT OF CLARENCE MITCHELL, DIRECTOR, WASHINGTON BUREAU, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE

Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, as you can see if you have a copy of my statement it is very brief, and with your permission, Mr. Chairman, I would like to file it for the record and comment extemporaneously.

Mr. DANIELS. Without objection, the statement will be filed. You may proceed, Mr. Mitchell, to make any comment that you desire.

(The statement referred to follows:)

TESTIMONY OF CLARENCE MITCHELL, DIRECTOR OF THE WASHINGTON BUREAU, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE

So much has been said on the matter of Federal aid to education that it is unnecessary for me to testify at length. The U.S. Department of Justice has filed suit on behalf of children of military personnel who are being barred from public schools solely because of their race. These suits reveal that the Federal Government has spent over $36 million for the building and operating of the schools to which admission is sought. In short, the Government has underwritten racial segregation with millions of dollars.

Although the action of the Justice Department is highly commendable, it reaches only a small part of the total problem. Congress should accept its responsibility and include safeguards against racial segregation in whatever bill that is finally approved. We will be happy to cooperate with the committee in formulating appropriate language.