The united American : a magazine of good citizenchip., June 01, 1925, Page 22, Image 22

Page Twenty-two
THE UNITED AMERICAN
JUNE 1925
Reducing Illiteracy Through Adult Education
By HAZEL B. NIELSEN, Director of Adult Education, State Department of Public Instruction, Bismark, North Dakota
• (Special for The United American)
TUNE —“ON WISCONSIN”
“On to victory, Education!” is our battle-cry.
Ignorance the foe we’ll conquer — Knowledge set on high.
And we’ll fight it without ceasing till within our State
Obsolete will be the word, illiterate.
—Clara Struble
TN JANUARY 1919 at the annual conference of the
county superintendent s held at the capitol of'North
Dakota a state program of adult education was adopted.
It may be truthfully said that the existence of condi­
tions making such a program a necessity resulted in
part from the World War. One of the main divisions
of this educational program was Americanization
which was subdivided into elimination of illiteracy and
the establishment of night schools. Since that time
every effort has been put forth to promote this pro­
gram af adult education.
In 1917 a law had been enacted providing for the
establishment of evening schools, which carried with it
an appropriation of seven thousand dollars to carry on
this work. Therefore, at the time of the adoption of
the Americanization program this law had been in
operation two years and several night schools had beeta
established throughout the state. These schools had
not reached the illiterate population so the first
problems which confronted the workers were the loca­
tion of these persons and arousing of interest of thé
people of the state in the illiteracy problem.
To assist in the latter, North Dakota was fortunate
in securing the services of Mrs. Cora Wilson Stewart,
the originator of the famous Moonlight Schools of Ken­
tucky. Mrs. Stewart spoke at the annual meetings of
the State Federation-of Women’s Club, the North
Dakota Education Association, the State Press Associa­
tion, the five Normal Schools of the state, the annual
conference of the County School Superintendents, and
the teachers institutes in twenty-seven counties.
To arouse further the people of the state in this
great work, songs were written and sung at educa­
tional meetings and all the county institutes, so that
the teachers could learn them and carry back to their
students the spirit of this crusade. Grateful acknow­
ledgement is given to Miss Huldah L. Winsted, Dean of
Women, State Normal School at Minot, and Miss Clara
Struble, a member of the school faculty of Grand
Forks, who contributed the songs which were sung
everywhere in the state.
The following song entitled “No Illiteracy in North
Dakota in 1924,” written by Huldah L. Winsted, to the
melody of “There’s a Long, Long, Trail,” became in no
time a popular campaign song and contributed materi­
ally to arouse public sentiment and support for the
educational work that has been done in this state with
such telling effects:
O’er our North Dakota bad lands,
And o’er her prairies far and wide
Rings a challenge, rolling onward
Like the never-ceasing tide;
From the banks of the Missouri
Unto the old Red River’s shore:
North Dakotall have no illiteracy
In nineteen twenty-four.
(Ritard)
“Every one prepare to teach one”
On the farm, in school or store,
Be it native North Dakotan
Or one born on foreign shore;
Then let each one heed this slogan
And rally to the call once more:
North Dakota’ll .have no illiteracy
In nineteen twenty-four.
(Ritard)
Although the goal of “No Illiteracy in North
Dakota in 1924” was not reached by June 30, 1924, at
the close of the school year, however, great progress
has been made. The splendid work which has been
started is still continuing. The statistics which were"
gathered) from the county superintendents’ reports for
the school year ending June 30, 1924, tell the story of
reduction, showing that the number of illiterates
credited by the Federal Census of 1920 to 9938 has
been cut down to 5456.
It will be noted that the number has been decreased
4,482, and of this total number left there are over
thirteen hundred native Americans, the Indians. The
percentage had been reduced from 2.1% in 1920 to 7%
on June 30,1924. Ten counties have not yet made the
survey and check. There are twelve counties which
report less than ten illiterates and Golden Valley has
the distinction of being the first county in the state
to stamp out illiteracy. The goal has been reached by
that county. The last person left in the county who
could not read and write was taught by the county
superintendent.
Many North Dakotans, exclusive of school people,
have given of their time and energy in the illiteracy
campaign. In the fall of 1921 when Mrs. Stewart
was touring the state in the publicity campaign, she
organized a class for illiterates at the night school at
the State Penitentiary. Volunteer teachers carried on
this work. The State Board of Administration passed
a resolution requiring all illiterates, inmates of the
penitentiary, to attend the night school. The instruc­
tion on reading, writing and citizenship opened up a
new w’orld for these men.
Federated Club women, members of the American
Legion and Auxiliary, the State Bar Association, and
other fraternal organizations have done “their bit”
by teaching in night schools and arousing the public in
this great cause. In one county where many foreign-
born were located, fifteen night schools were conducted
in the open country by the teachers who did not receive
pay for their services. Great assistance has also been
given in the crusade by Mr. Robert Coleman, Federal
District Director of Naturalization, St. Paul, Minne­
sota. Federal Citizenship Text Books have been given
out free of charge to men and women who wished to
become citizens of the United States.
Many stories of human interest could be given of
evening schools. The illiterate Indian found on th<
Government Reservations is one of the greatest
problems North Dakota has in Adult Education. Many
of the illiterate Indians cannot even speak the English
language, and have no desire to learn to read and write
it. However, there are some bright spots in the work