Herbert Hoover photo

Remarks to the Conference on the Crisis in Education.

January 05, 1933

OUR NATION faces the acute responsibility of providing a right-of-way for the American child. In spite of our economic, social, and governmental difficulties, our future citizens must be built up now. We may delay other problems, but we cannot delay the day to day care and instruction of our children.

This Conference is unusual, in that it invites the cooperation of men of widely different points of view in the consideration of our school and tax system from the standpoint of maintaining the welfare of the children of today.

Our governmental forces have grown unevenly and along with our astounding national development. We are now forced to make decisions on the merits of the various expenditures. But in the rigid governmental economies that are requisite everywhere we must not encroach upon the schools or reduce the opportunity of the child through the school to develop adequate citizenship. There is no safety for our Republic without the education of our youth. That is the first charge upon all citizens and local governments.

I have confidence that with adequate reduction of expenditures there can be ample amounts obtained from reasonable taxation to keep our school system intact and functioning satisfactorily. Those in charge of the schools must be willing to face conditions as they are, to cooperate in discarding all unnecessary expenditure, to analyze all procedures, and to carry forward on a solid basis of economy. But the schools must be carried on.

I wish to thank you for giving of your time and coming here to Washington for this meeting. I trust that out of it will come recommendations that will be of national significance. Above all, may I ask that throughout your deliberations you bear in mind that the proper care and training of our children is more important than any other process that is carried on by our Government. If we are to continue to educate our children, we must keep and sustain our teachers and our schools.

Note: The President spoke at 10 a.m. to the opening session of the Conference which met at the National Academy of Sciences Building in Washington, D.C.

Herbert Hoover, Remarks to the Conference on the Crisis in Education. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/207941

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