The 1930s Education: Overview

Education has always been at the heart of American democracy. The public school system was designed to take children from all backgrounds, all abilities, and give them the education they would need to find a job and better themselves. Before the 1930s, whole communities, from businesses to church leaders, felt proud of the schooling they provided for American youth. In many ways the public schools were a symbol of the promise of America.

During the Depression, the problems of American education rose to the surface. Although public education was free to all, the quality of schooling available in different parts of the country varied drastically. In some areas, such as the rural South, the public school system was starved for money. Many children in poor areas, especially African Americans, had very little experience of regular schooling. The Depression made the situation worse. Communities were unwilling and unable to spend as much on public schools as they had previously. As the economic situation further deteriorated, the public concentrated on other problems more than on public schooling. The National Economic League had named education the fourth most important national priority in 1930, but by 1932, it had dropped to thirty-second on the list.

As the Depression took hold, the financial support once offered to public schools by businesses was withdrawn. In the 1920s, businesses had eagerly supported the public school system. Money was loaned or donated for new buildings and books. Many construction firms saw building schools as an excellent business opportunity. Businesses also realized that public schools were training the clerks, typists, and book-keepers of the future. But when the Depression hit, struggling businesses removed their support. Public schools became dependent on lesser grants from the federal and state levels. With smaller budgets, schools closed and curriculum and teacher salaries were cut. In Chicago, the school board fired 1,400 teachers and cut salaries for the rest. Similar actions took place across the country. As school budgets dwindled, arguments erupted over the best methods of educating the nation's youth. These arguments changed American education for years to come.

Two of the greatest challenges to public education were quality of the curriculum and fairness. The promise of public education was that it would create knowledgeable citizens. But what knowledgeable citizens actually need to know has always been open for debate. For many in the 1930s, success in education meant going to college, and in theory this was possible for anyone with the ability. But in practice, college admission required knowledge of Latin or Greek, or being able to pass tests in algebra. These subjects were rarely taught in public schools. So in reality, only privately educated students had much chance of attending college. African Americans faced the added difficulty that many colleges would not accept black students. These inequalities fueled the debate over what should be taught in public schools. Businessmen argued that it was pointless to educate children in ancient languages when they would spend their adult lives working down in the mine or in a factory. For many African Americans, the problem was not just what should be taught; the issue was having any access at all to adequate schooling. In 1932, 230 southern counties had no high schools for African Americans. Ironically, the Depression helped bring about the end of segregation in education. Northern school boards merged schools to save money and in so doing, brought black and white children together. Meanwhile, New Deal agencies helped more than half a million African American adults learn to read and write.

Progressive educators tried to break the cycle of failure that gripped public schools. They campaigned to change college entrance requirements and restructure the school curriculum. Progressives hoped to reform the whole education system. Although the Depression delayed some of their plans, by 1935 improvements in the system had begun. The arguments of those wishing to limit the education of people who might spend their lives toiling in a mine or on a railroad were rejected in favor of equal educational opportunities for all. By the end of the decade, the American public school system was fairer and better run than it had been before.