Federal Grants to Education 'Only Solution' Says Sargent

Federal aid is necessary for United States secondary schools to solve the problems which confront them, Cyril G. Sargent, assistant professor of Education told the CRIMSON yesterday. Sargent is an expert in secondary school education at the Graduate School of Education.

However, when federal aid comes it should be restricted to public schools, Sargent feels. "It is a logical continuation of the principle of separation of church and state. We fought it out on the state level in the 1840's. Separation of church and state was valid then on a national basis." He noted that American society needs some force such as public schools which help to unify its various economic, social, and religious groupings.

Re-districting Necessary

Re-districting of the nation's some 106,000 school districts, many of which are too small and inefficient, is one of the immediate needs of secondary schools, according to Sargent. If the tiny, rural, autonomous school systems would consolidate their administrations they could provide superior and more varied educational programs than they do now.

"Many point out that the school is taking the place of the frontier as a means of social mobility in American society," he said. "Once it was, 'Go west young man!' Now a young man looks to education to improve himself. Schools are a national responsibility. I do not see how their function is inconsistent with some centralization."

To compromise the states desire to maintain local control of education and the federal government's reluctance to hand out funds without some control over their use, Sargent suggests a federal board of education, named by laymen, to serve as an advisory group to state education administrations.