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THE UNITED AMERICAN
JUNE 1925
Adult Education in Pennsylvania
By A. W. CASTLE, Director of Extension Education, State Department of Public Education, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
(Special for The United American)
PENNSYLVANIA has recently taken a distinct step
forward in the development of Adult Education.
For many years the larger and more progressive
cities and boroughs of the state have been maintaining
efficient systems of night schools. Great credit is due
to the men responsible for this development of adult
education, for heretofore they have had little encourage
ment and no help from the state. From 1920 to 1924
a Bureau of Americanization existed within the State
Department of Public Instruction, which spread ef
fective propaganda in the interest of English and citi
zenship classes for immigrants. Beyond this effort,
and a section of the State School Code providing for
the education of foreign born by means of county
supervisors subject to the approval and support of
county commissioners, there had been no constructive
effort in the field of adult education.
In February, 1924, there was created a Division of
Extension Education within the State Department of
Public Instruction. To this division was assigned the
responsibility of developing adult education within the
State, including night, high and elementary public
schools, English and citizenship classes for immigrants
and native illiterates, and university extension courses,
with the additional responsibility of co-ordinating
public and school libraries and other existing agencies
in the interest of adult education.
On September 22 and 23, 1924, delegates from over
fifty leading educational, industrial, religious, patriotic
and welfare organizations of the state met at Harris
burg, in response to a call from the Department of
Public Instruction, to discuss adult education in Penn
sylvania. As a result of this conference, definte re
commendations were formulated which received the
serious consideration and general approval of the
State Department.
Out of these recqmmendations and the established
policies of the Department of Public Instruction grew
a definite state program of adult education, including
the following major provisions.
1. State certification of extension teachers
based upon special training in the teaching
of English and citizenship, in addition to the
requirements for teaching in the public
schools of the state.
2. A state-wide program of teacher training to
enable teachers to meet the certification re
quirements within the two years allowed for
this purpose.
3. Approval of twelve bulletins on the various
phases of extension education, including
courses of study and methods of teaching,
was secured and these bulletins are in pro
cess of preparation.
4. A legislative program was formulated in-
. eluding the following provisions.
A. Recognition of adult education as an in
tegral part of the program of public in-
,
struction within the state.
The organization of extension education
classes at any time during the day or
night not in conflict with day-school ac
tivities was made mandatory upon the
school districts of the state upon written
application of twenty or more residents
above sixteen years of age, such classes
to include any course of study taught in
the day schools of such districts, English
and citizenship classes for immigrants
and native illiterates, citizenship for
adults, and any other course of study
which such boards of school directors
might see fit to establish and maintain.
C. Extension classes so organized shall not
be closed, except as the attendance in such
classes for one month falls below ten.
D. Whenever a day-school course of study
is successfully completed by any person,
full school credit toward graduation shall
be given, and when the requirements for
graduation are fulfilled by any person by
attending either night classes or night
classes and day classes, such person shall
be awarded the regular school certificate
or diploma.
E. Provision was made for reimbursement of
school districts for maintaining extension
schools and classes on the same per-
centum basis as districts within the State
of Pennsylvania are now reimbursed for
day-school costs, ranging according to the
class of district from twenty-five percent
to seventy-five percent of the minimum
salary prescribed, with further provision
that the minimum salary of extension
teachers shall be one dollar per hour, with
a minimum annual increment of twenty-
five cents per hour, and a minimum
number of two such annual increments.
F. Provision was further made for a biennial
enumeration of illiterates and aliens to be
made by school districts in conjunction
with the regular school enumeration.
With the exception of the bill providing for a bi
ennial enumeration of illiterates and aliens, all of the
extension education measures were passed by the 1925
Assembly and signed by Governor Pinchot.
While much remains to be done in Pennsylvania,
this represents at least a beginning. Increased interest
in adult education is evident throughout the state.
During the past year the number of cities and boroughs
maintaining adult education classes has increased about
fifty percent. Cities and boroughs which have pre
viously maintained such classes are increasing their
budget appropriations for this work, and class enroll
ment is steadily growing.
The State Department of Public Instruction of
Pennsylvania while fostering the move for a compre-
B.
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