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Indiana University Studies 



CHAPTER XIII 



DEDUCTIONS RELATIVE TO EDUCATION 



PART I. RELATIVE TO THE POPULATION AND GENERAL EDUCA- 

 TION 



§1. Widely Distributed Responsibilities for General and Vocational 



Education 



With 42 per cent of the entire population of Indiana distributed 

 among one city over 100,000 inhabitants, four cities between 25,000 

 and 100,000, 20 cities between 10,000 and 25,000, 26 cities between 

 5,000 and 10,000, 37 towns between 2,500 and 5,000, and 57.6 per 

 cent of the population in rural districts, it is readily seen that the 

 people are very widely and comparatively evenly distributed in 

 residence over the State. The responsibilities for all types of 

 education are thus widely distributed and practically no district 

 in the State is exempt from this duty. 



For purposes of general education, Indiana is committed to 

 the permanent policy of making adequate provision for meeting 

 the educational needs resulting from this wide distribution in 

 place of residence by establishing and maintaining rural town- 

 ship consolidated, town, and city schools. 



For the purposes of vocational education this wide distribution 

 of population presents a much more difficult problem, more diffi- 

 cult in degree than in most of the States thus far committed to 

 a system of State-aided vocational schools. As the situation in 

 Indiana is somewhat uniciue, it is particularly necessary that all 

 the possible factors should be carefully considered before deciding 

 upon definite and permanent state policies. 



§2. Illiteracy in the Entire Population 



As a State, illiteracy, averaging all classes of the population, 

 has been reduced from 4.6 per cent in 1900 to 3.1 per cent in 

 1910. This shows great educational progress. In spite of this 

 reduction, however, in 1910 there were ten States in the Union 

 having a smaller percentage of illiteracy. Considering Indiana's 

 wealth and educational facilities and the relatively small per- 

 centage of foreign born living in this State, it is thought that the 



