Conant Proclaims Necessity For Equality of Education

Strossing his conviction that many of the social problems which confront this country today can be solved only through a broad education for all, President Conant gave the biennial Sachs Lectures at Columbia University Teachers College in New York last week.

His first subject was "The Structure of American Society"; under this title he reiterated the same plea which he has been making up and down the Atlantic seaboard during the past few months; if the goals of this nation are to remain equality of opportunity and a classless democracy, education must be supported by federal aid.

Assails Smug Attitude

"The oft-repeated statement in certain smug circles that 'any body who has what it takes can get all the education he wants in the U.S.A. just isn't so," Conant stated. The United States is "a long way from anything like equality of educational opportunity."

"The nearer we approach through education to our avowed goal of equality of opportunity, . . . the more chance there is for personal liberty as we know it to continue in these United States . . . Education is perhaps the most important process in determining the future of our country," he continued, "it should command a far larger portion of our national income than it does today."

On Thursday, he addressed the Faculty and students of the Teachers College on "General Education for American Democracy," emphasizing the need for education to take many forms while retaining the same content of common knowledge and values of the whole society.