Education in the United States during the Great Depression

Jake LeiboldAugust 22, 2010

ED513

The Great Depression Worldwide economic depression starting in 1929

and lasting throughout the 1930s Began with the U.S. stock market crash of 1929 –

stock values down about 20% between 1929 and 1932. By 1933, almost half of U.S. banks had failed

Monetary policy mistakes and adherence to the gold standard during this time led to reduced levels of demand and production, resulting in unemployment rates of 25-30% in 1932

Increased US import tariffs in 1930, in hopes to encourage the purchase of US made goods domestically, worsened the depression as other countries increased import tariffs on US made goods.

Great Depression effects on Education Funding for schools was greatly decreased due to the lack of

tax revenue from people that couldn’t pay their property tax No money to buy books or supplies – students used worn out

textbooks and had to bring their own supplies to school Courses outside the standard requirements of reading, writing,

and math had to be cut due to lack of funding (art, foreign language, home economics, physical education, etc)

Some schools started progressive classrooms, where students could choose what subjects they wanted to learn

In 1933, two thousand rural schools in 24 states failed to open, making it unable for over 2 million students to attend school.

Many cities and states shortened the length of school years Salaries for teachers in urban areas declined from a maximum

of $3,000 per year in 1929 to $2,000 per year in 1934

The New Deal Series of economic programs passed by congress during FDR’s

first term from 1933-1938 Focused on relief for unemployed and poor, recovery of the

economy, and reform of the financial system to prevent future depressions

The “First New Deal” in 1933 helped groups with economic recovery – banking, railroads, industry, farming

The “Second New Deal” in 1934-36 included promoting labor unions, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) relief program, the Social Security Act, and programs to aid farmers and migrant workers

Final items of New Deal legislation created the US Housing Authority, Farm Security Administration, and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 which set maximum hours and minimum wages for most workers

The New Deal marked the beginning of increased federal government regulation of the economy, complex social programs, and the growing power of labor unions

The New Deal and Education New child labor laws eliminated

teenagers from the work force, thus increasing the number of students in schools. High school became a place for all teenagers, not just those preparing for college

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) gave money to schools to hire more teachers and buy supplies

The WPA and Public Works Administration (PWA) built larger schools to replace one-room schoolhouses

Works Progress Administration Largest New Deal agency that employed

millions of people to carry out public works projects

In addition to helping schools hire more teachers and buy supplies, it helped children in other ways by creating

Nursery schools for children of working mothers Nutrition programs for schools Surplus stores to distribute clothing, food, toys, and

other families that needed help Recreational and educational programs geared

towards disadvantaged children

National Youth Administration A New Deal agency, established in

1935, that was part of the WPA Helped more than 2 million high

school and college students stay in school by giving them grants in exchange for work study projects

Also found work for 2.5 million young people that weren’t in school or working

Free-Enterprise Campaign and Textbook Controversy General uncertainty caused by the depression was

reflected in writings of social-science educators Some textbook authors in the 1930s switched from a

glorification of the free-enterprise system to a more critical appraisal of American tradition

Business leaders were alarmed by this view appearing in textbooks – they were spending large amounts of money in campaigning to perpetuate the idea that free enterprise is the American way of life

Business leaders started to get involved in education, hoping to educate young people about the free-enterprise system

This was the start of business propaganda in the schools, the effect and purpose which was debated by critics post-WWII, as is discussed in the Fones-Wolf article about the ACES program