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Alaskan Schools Help
In Win-the-War Drives
_
Comprehensive Review of Educational Work in Alaska — Schools Throughout
America Will Prove Valuable Aid in Reconstruction Program—Teachers in
Alaskan Schools Experienced as Instructors—Franklin K. Lane School in Ne
nana One erf Best in Territory—Statement by L. D. Henderson, Territorial
Commissioner of Education.
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This is my first visit to Nenana
since the completion of the Frank
lin K. Lane school. The building
compares favorably with the best in
the Territory. The equipment is
excellent and the provision for the
comfort, safety and full develop
ment of the pupils all that can be
reasonably expected, especially when
the size of the school is considered.
Since the Nenana school district
was first established the members
of the school board have shown
themselves to be broad-minded, pub
lic-spirited, progressive and deeply
interested in everything that per
tains to the advancement of the
interest of the children of the com
munity. Nenana is to be congratu
lated on her excellent school and
or the record which the pupils have
made in the support of every war
activity in which the Government
has asked aid of the schools during
the past two years.
Alaska generally prides herself
on four things: First of all, she
yields second place to no state in
the Union in the war record of her
schools, in War-Gardens, War-Sav
ings, Red Cross work, and Food
Conservation, in relief activities of
every description and in active sup
port of every “win-the-war mea
sure” there were few laggards in
the whole Territory. -Alaska fur
ther prides herself on the training
and experience of the teachers in
her public schools. More than two
thirds of the teachers in Alaska are
graduates of normal schools or col
leges, and a large percentage of
this number have had advanced
training in addition to graduation.
The average experience of Alaska
teachers during the school year
-1917-18 was seven and one-half
■years. When these figures are com
pared with those of any state in
'the Union, or with those of the na
ition as a whole, Alaska is found to
■ be far in the lead, a circumstance j
'which contributes, without doubt, to
i
a third cause for pride, namely, the j
superiority of the pupils "in her ;
■ schools as indicated by a series of;
standard tests which have been giv- j
i en during the past two school years. '
IA fourth cause for pride is to be (
found in the generous financial sup- I
■ port which the residents of Alaska .
give to their schools and in' their |
readiness to provide still greater:
funds as the necessity presents
itself.
The high cost of living is now an
issue in every walk of life. Per
capita school costs will now be I
larger than in the past. The mat- t
ter of teachers’ salaries in the
schools of nearly every communityj
needs adjustment upward. Alaska
has been able to secure highly,
trained and experienced teachers j
largely because she has been paying
more adequate salaries than the
average state. Teachers’ salaries
throughout the United States have
advanced materially during the past 1
year. There is, in addition, a scarci- j
ty of teachers throughout the na- i
tion, the shortage last year being
estimated at fifty thousand. If we
are to secure thoroughly competent
teachers in the future, we must |
spend more money on the item of
teachers' salaries.
A period of material, moral, and
spiritual reconstruction now faces j
the nation. It is frankly admitted 1
by all that the schools are essen- j
tial to the proper carrying out of
a reconstruction program. Without
the active co-operation of teachers
and pupils the Nation W'ould fail in
its endeavor. The Great War has
done one thing for the public
schools. It has brought them di-1
rectly to the attention of the Gov- j
ernment and of each individual in j
this country in a way that has
never before been possible. Here- j
tofore, the schools were an accepted
institution as were babies, day. 1
night, and the movies. Then came j
the war, and the Nation for the |
first time realized the tremendous ;
power which the army of 22,000,000 i
school children and 600.000 school
teachers represented.
The Government said to this
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NEINANA, ALASKA
E
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:
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ROSBURG & BURNS, Proprietors.
army: “If the war is to be won.
you must help. Starvation threat
ens to defeat struggling England,
France, Belgium, and Italy. You
must practice food-saving and teach
the Nation to save. We need bill
ions. You must practice thrift and
teach the Nation thrift. There is
intense suffering throughout the
world. The agency which we have
chosen for the alleviation of this
condition is the American Red Cross. {
If the Red Cross is to be a sue- j
cess, you must get behind it.”
These are ,but a few of the many ;
calls which were made upon our:
public schools. To each call there |
was a response which was mighty j
(in its effect. For the first time this!
Nation began to realize the power
which lies in the public school. The
lesson learned will not soon be for
gotten.
It is not possible to account for j
Chateau-Thierry, for Belleau Wood, j
for Cantigny, for St. Mihiel, for
tie Argonne, for Sedan by enumer
ating tie number of men engaged,
by counting tie cannon, the ma
chine guns, and tie munitions and !
instruments of destruction. These j
victories cannot be explained on a
basis of mere physical force. The
men engaged were tie embodiment
of the spirit of a free and inde
pendent people and went forth in
support of an ideal taught in tie j
public schools. Some one has well '
said that tie final victory was won j
because it had been preceded by a
battle of books, by the silent tri-'
umphs of an army of teachers in ’
the schoolrooms and on the play- I
grounds. That the war in the final j
analysis was a war between two j
systems ocf education. Between that
of Germany on the one hand, with j
its disciplines and doctrines, its sup-!
i
preseion of initiative and individu- i
ality, and that of America on the ■
other, with its provision for equal
participation by all in a common
culture, common ideals and common
opportunities, and for the develop
ment of individuality and initiative
bounded by a proper regard for the
good of the whole group.
Not only has the public obtained .
a new view of the American school
and its power and value as an in- ,
vestment, but the school has in turn ;
obtained a new view of its own <
functions and needs. It has realized '
its weaknesses and shortcomings, but
never so concretely as now. It has
in the past made attempts to remedy
these weaknesses, but never with '■
such determination or a conviction ;
so clear cut as now; never with
such confidence that the public will
co-operate and provide both moral
and financial support as new.
The reconstruction propram of the
public schools provides for definite ;
work in Americanization, not only
as the term applies to the proper
assimilation of our foreign popula
tion, but also as it applies to the
inculcation of real American ideals,
in those of native birth who have !
failed to become really American |
in thought and feeling; for the ,
teaching of Thrift in the broad ;
sense of the term which expands it!
to include saving of money, the
,proper spending of money, the wise
! investment of money, the conserva
;tion of health and material re
sources, and the inculcation of all,
, those virtues which make for a full
iand wholesome existence; for the
support of the Peace Program of
the Junior Red Cross; and for in- j
creased attention to the physical
well-being of all the people of the
Nation.
Never before in the history of
the Nation or of the Territory of
Alaska has the educational outlook
ibeen so bright. There is now be
fore Congress what is known as the
Smith-Towner Education Bill, which
provides for a Secretary of Edu
cation in the President's cabinet and
carries an annual federal appropri
ation of $100,000,000 for co-opera
ition with the states in the carrying
!
out of an educational program
■ which includes the removal of illit
eracy, an Americanization cam
paign. better preparation of teach
ers, more adequate physical and
bealtfc education, and the equhliza
ANDERSON BROS.
& NERLAND
DEALERS IN
Paints, Oils, Hardware
Sporting Goods of All Kinds
Furniture
Budding Material
NENANA and FAIRBANKS
R. E. BURNS A. ANDERSON J. BERNARD
R. E. BURNS & CO.
Pioneer Coal Operators
COAL FOR STEAM AND DOMESTIC PURPOSES
Mine at Mile 367, Government Railroad
Office at Nenana, Alaska.
tion of educational opportunity re
gardless of whether a child lives in
a poor or a wealthy community.
Alaska is not yet included in the
benefits of the bill, although a most
determined effort is being made to
bring this about.
In so far as the Territory is con
cerned. there is an interest in educa
tion manifested by people in all
walks of life which is extremely en
couraging. The Territorial Legisla
ture at its last session was most
libera! in its appropriations for the
cause of education. Various com
munities are also launching move
ments looking toward the better
ment of the materia! equipment of
the schools. Petersburg recently
received permission to bond the city
for $75,000 for the purpose of
'erecting a modem school building
and making other city improve
ments. Federal legislation author
izing Ketchikan to bond hersc-lf for
$100,000 for the purpose of erect
ing a school building was also re
jcently enacted. Fairbanks is ereet
i ing a large and well-equipped gym
i nasium for use in carrying out a
more definite physical education pro- ^
gram in the schools. Schools
throughout the Territory are devot
ing more attention to physical edu
cation and to the addition of voca
tional training courses to the cur
riculum. The time should soon ar
rive when no parent in any com
munitv will feel that his or her
child can secure better educational
opportunities on the Outside than
i in Alaska.
White Pass &
Yukon Route
Run a line of first-class steamers
to all points on the Yukon River
and Tributaries.
Grandest scenery in the world.
Wonderful opportunities for pros
pectors.
Alaska is the young man's best
chance.
SEATTLE OFFICE, 612 SECOND AVENUE
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I Miners and Prospectors! f
( NOTICE OF CHANGE OF RECORDING PRECINCTS {
According to a recently issued Court Order by =
: S Judge Chas. E. Bunnell, the Nenana Mining and Re- E
S cording District has been enlarged to take in the Bon- 5
.§ nifield and Totatlanika Districts.
Miners and Prospectors of these districts will be =
! i enabled by this change to do their recording and tians- |
]E act other business at Nenana, which is within easy S
II reach of their mining activities. H
1 NENANA COMMERCIAL CLUB, 1
| R. S. McDonald, R. J. Diven, E
I President. Secretary |
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