778 State. Papers and Addresses

School authorities declare that pupils in one-teacher schools are at a greater
disadvantage than children in the larger schools, while at the time the cost
of instruction per pupil is higher in the one-teacher schools. Transportation to
elementary schools at public expense increased from 35, 980 white pupils in 1938
to 45, 060 in 1942, while for colored pupils growth in number transported was
from 2, 749 to 6, 571. Increased transportation made it possible to reduce the
one-teacher schools between 1938 and 1942 by 254.

There should be further recognition of the desirability of enriching the
high school program through more wide-spread provision of instruction in
agriculture, industrial arts and trades for boys, and in home economics for girls,
as well as in music, physical education, and art. While the high school enroll-
ment showed a gain of 11% from 1938 to 1942, the increase in boys taking
agriculture was 28% for white and 65% for colored, and in those taking in-
dustrial work 33% for white and 23% for colored boys. For girls taking home
economics the percentage increaes were 28% for white and 15% for colored.
The percentages indicate that a larger proportion of high school children are
benefiting from these practical courses and it is important that these courses be
made available to even greater numbers of the pupils.

A program of vocational guidance has been inaugurated throughout the
State with a member of the State Department of Education as supervisor. This
program should go forward so that our boys and girls of school age will have
knowledge of employment conditions and their own chances in the working
world. The larger schools in every county are assigning teachers to act as
guidance counselors and in these schools the entire staff is gradually becoming
conscious of their part in bringing about better, adjustment between pupils and
the work to be done in the world. Guidance must be extended until it is a part
of the program in every high school in the counties.

The segregation of pupils of limited ability is desirable and serves two
purposes: It benefits the children enrolled in special classes by adapting a
teaching program to their special needs, and it makes possible better instruc-
tion for the pupils in the regular classes from which the handicapped children
are withdrawn. * We have added an additional number of these classes from
which more than 1400 pupils have benefited. But I believe this program should
be extended. I have recently arranged for an amendment to the budget making
it possible to assign a special supervisor in the State Department of Education
to the field of special education and attendance.

The State plan for the education of physically handicapped children pro-
vides for special instruction in hospital schools, visiting teachers for those child-
ren physically unable to leave home, special transportation of those who can not
ride on regular school buses or who can not walk the distance to school, and
special orthopedic or other equipment wherever necessary for proper school ad-
justment. These children are taught the subjects in the regular school curri-
culm. Again, the last four years showed an expansion in this field when com-
pared with any previous 4-year period. In my opinion opportunities for physi-
cally handicapped children should be extended until every child receives instruc-