PART II.

ACTIVITIES OF THE BUREAU OF EDUCATION.

FUNCTIONS OF THE BUREAU.

The act which established the Bureau of Education provides that it is "for the purpose of collecting such statistics and facts as shall show the condition and progress of education in the several States and Territories, and of diffusing such information respecting the organization and management of schools and school systems and methods of teaching as shall aid the people of the United States in the establishment and maintenance of efficient school systems and otherwise promote the cause of education throughout the country."

The bureau has no direct administrative duties except those involved in the education, support, and medical relief of the natives of Alaska, and in approving expenditures of funds appropriated by the Federal Government for the colleges of agriculture and mechanic arts which receive aid from the Federal Government. As far as the moneys appropriated to it by the Congress will permit, the bureau attempts to carry out the spirit of the act quoted and to function as an agency of information, of advice, of research, of organization, of opinion, and of propaganda.

In the report of the Commissioner of Education to the Secretary of the Interior for the year ended June 30, 1915, five lines of work which the bureau was then carrying on were set forth. Briefly, these were to gather and disseminate accurate and comprehensive educational data, to serve as a clearing house for the best opinion on educational matters, to advise with persons interested in education, to promote desirable educational tendencies, and to conduct and direct experiments in education. Except for some interruption during the war period, the plans announced at that time have been steadily followed. They will be here repeated more fully to serve as a background upon which to show the efforts of the bureau for the past fiscal year.

I. A CLEARING HOUSE FOR EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION.

The bureau attempts, first," to serve as a clearing house for accurate and comprehensive information in respect to all educational agencies

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and all forms of education in the United States and all foreign countries, and to disseminate this information among school officers, teachers, students of education, and all others directly interested in any form of educational activity." In attaining this end the bureau does by far the larger and more important part of its work in the regular routine of daily duties at the offices in Washington. By means of letters of inquiry, questionnaires, personal interviews, voluntary reports from school officials and others, and studies of original documents it gathers facts and makes the information thus gained available to the public in the form of pamphlets, bulletins, circulars, and letters to individuals and to the press.

CORRESPONDENCE.

During the year there were received at the Washington office alone 166,746 letters, 45,828 library publications, and 58,287 forms of various kinds. This does not take into account any of the mail matter received at the various research stations and by special agents and at bureau offices other than those in the Pension Building. This is a decrease from the figures of the year 1918-19, an unusually active year because of war conditions. It is more than eight times the volume of the bureau's correspondence in 1910.

PUBLICATIONS.

Although the increased cost of printing caused its appropriation for that purpose to be exhausted early in the year, the bureau published 62 bulletins, 1 annual report, 1 annual statement to the Secretary of the Interior, 6 library leaflets, 2 health education publications, 4 kindergarten circulars, 5 higher-education circulars, 1 reading course, 1 community center leaflet, 8 School Garden Army publications, 1 school-extension leaflet, 24 numbers of School Life, 4 numbers of Americanization, and numerous reprints and miscellaneous documents. The circulation of School Life is approximately 40,000. Its subscription list is composed almost wholly of the names of members of boards of education, superintendents, principals, and teachers. It is a semimonthly school periodical whose columns are devoted to current educational items of interest and to discussions of educational problems both in the United States and foreign countries.

With the cooperation of the National Geographic Society, a Geographic News bulletin to be used as an aid in teaching geography and history was published weekly for the greater part of the school term. It reached a circulation among teachers of 70,000.

STATISTICS.

In 1918 an arrangement was begun by which the educational statistics of each State are to be collected through the State departments of education. This arrangement was completed. Seven chapters of the statistical report for the year 1917-18, those dealing with summer schools, schools for the deaf, blind, and feeble-minded, industrial schools for delinquents, private high schools, and State school systems were compiled and printed. The five chapters on normal schools, nurse-training schools, private commercial schools, public high schools, and city school systems were compiled, but have not yet come from the press. A chapter on colleges, universities, and normal schools and a review chapter of the entire report are not yet completed.

In this report, more than has been the practice heretofore, the important points of educational practice have been focalized in diagrams and graphic representations. A text has been added to clarify the report and explain the methods employed in arriving at certain statistical data and conclusions.

A directory giving the name and location of all the more important educational agencies and the names and addresses of administrative officers in education throughout the United States was compiled and published.

LIBRARY WORK.

The bureau maintains an educational library of 175,000 volumes and pamphlets for the use of its own workers and the general public. As far as is possible with its fund of $500, the library is kept supplied with the most valuable and up-to-date books, periodicals, pamphlets, and reports on education in several languages. In 1919-20 1,244 volumes were added by gift, exchange and purchase. Copyright transfers from the Library of Congress were 390 volumes; serial numbers accessioned were 3,520: periodical numbers, 8,358; received from the bindery, 656 volumes.

Visitors and research workers are welcomed at the library. Reading tables are arranged for their convenience. During the year 810 calls of consultation were made by people from without the bureau. Volumes are loaned on personal or written request. Two thousand one hundred and fifty-one loans were made, mostly to people outside of the city of Washington.

The library keeps at hand a steadily increasing list of bibliographies for distribution. One hundred and twelve of the earlier lists were revised during the year and 84 new ones were added. In addition there were prepared by the library and published six leaflets, giving lists of references on vocational education, teachers' salaries,

the project method in education, education for citizenship, consolidation of schools, and student self-government.

LIBRARY INFORMATION SERVICE.

As an indirect result of the European war, public libraries all over the United States were awakened to the part which the publications of the National Government might and should play in the lives of the people. In order to encourage acquaintance with these publications the Library Information Service in September, 1919, issued a bulletin entitled "The Federal Executive Departments as Sources of Information for Libraries." The bulletin contains brief accounts of the work performed and the kinds of printed matter prepared in the 10 executive departments of the Government.

The general character of the printed matter and the sources from which it emanates having been indicated, the next step was to assist librarians in obtaining the documents which they desired and to call their attention to publications of special interest. The bureau has sought to perform this service to the best of its ability.

ASSISTANCE TO RETURNED SOLDIERS.

Shortly after the close of the war the bureau took up the work of informing returned soldiers of the opportunities offered them by universities, colleges, and other schools.

It was found that within six months after the end of hostilities over 40,000 discharged soldiers had written to the Secretary of the Interior to say that they were interested in his plan to provide work and farms for them. Incidentally, his plan proposed educational opportunities for the ex-soldiers while they were reclaiming the lands they expected to own as farms. Finally, the number writing to the Secretary in regard to the reclamation plan reached a figure above 150,000. While awaiting necessary legislation it was decided to give the first 40,000 inquirers information concerning the special courses arranged for them in the summer schools of the agricultural and mechanical colleges. A separate circular was prepared for each State, so that each one of the 40,000 received something specific about the opportunities offered by his own State institution. Subsequently similar information was compiled relating to short winter courses in the agricultural and mechanical colleges. To answer the many inquiries, circular letters were prepared and sent with such printed matter as was applicable. The large edition of Higher Education Circular No. 12-" Opportunities at College for Returning Soldiers "was soon exhausted in answering these inquiries. Many soldier letters were forwarded to the bureau by the chief of the rehabilitation division of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Before the

end of 1919 that division had on file more than 250,000 letters from soldiers needing vocational training. The rehabilitation act provided for the reeducation or vocational training of men who had been discharged from the service with a disability, but the impression had prevailed throughout the Army that all discharged soldiers would be entitled to free vocational education. This caused thousands of able-bodied ex-soldiers to apply to the Federal Board. The Bureau of Education attempted to give helpful information to as many of these ex-service men as possible. The student enrollment in universities and colleges for 1919-20 was the largest in the history of the country, and included many thousands of former soldiers of the World War. It is, however, a regrettable fact that many thousands more were not financially able to resume their school or college courses, interrupted by the war.

HIGHER EDUCATION.

In gathering and arranging information for the field of higher education the bureau completed the work on a bulletin on "Statistics of Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges, 1917-18," which is now in press. It examined, with a view to possible publication as bulletins or higher-education circulars, a large number of manuscripts, of which the following have been accepted and published, or are still in press: "The Rhodes Scholarships, 1919-20"; "How Much Does Higher Education Cost"; "The Rhodes Scholarship, 1920-21"; "The Ohio Plan for the Training of Teachers and the Improvement of Teachers in Service"; "Training Teachers of Agriculture"; "The University Extension Movement"; "Class Extension Work in Universities and Colleges of the United States "; " Public Discussion and Information Service of University Extension"; "Administration of Correspondence Study Departments in Universities and Colleges"; "The Junior College"; "Correspondence Study in Universities and Colleges"; "Development of Agricultural Instruction in Secondary Schools."

The following listed bulletins, prepared for distribution, have been completed and are ready for the press: "Opportunities for Graduate Study at American Universities"; "Opportunities for the Study of Engineering in the United States"; revision of the bulletin on "Opportunities for Foreign Students at Colleges and Universities in the United States"; "Statistics of State Universities and State Colleges, 1919."

Information has been gathered from the colleges and universities concerning the growth and status of the teaching of Slavonic languages and literatures in the United States; general intelligence tests; the teaching of history and citizenship courses in normal schools, col