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EDUCATION:
THE COUNTY HAS
FALLEN FARTHER
BEHIND THE STATE
AND THE NATION
LOCAL EDUCATION
APPEARS TO BE
AT THE STATE
LEVEL
BUT MANY WELL EDUCATED
ADU LTS
ARE MIGR AT I NG
Fi g u re 4 sho ws t hat the med i an ed u cat i ona l l evel of Wilkes
Co u nty a dul t s was 7 . 2 yea r s of sc h ooling in 19 5 0 , increas i ng on l y
to 7.7 i n 1 960 . Thus, a l t h o u gh the County wa s b e l ow State and
nat i o n a l l e vels in 1 950 , i t s educat i ona l l e v e l fe l l fart h er beh i nd
d uri n g t h e 1 9 5 0 - 60 deca d e . The Town of North Wilkesbo r o in 1950
wa s a b o v e t h e urban Sta t e and ove r al l nat i ona l level s, but dur i ng
t h e 1950 - 60 de cade t h e r e wa s vi r t u a ll y no ga i n i n t h e Town leve l
of a dul t e du cat i ona l at t a i nment , and t h e Town fe l l b e hi nd t he urban
State and o v e r a ll nat i ona l l e v e ls by 1960. What h a pp ened? Wh y
h a v e b ot h Coun ty a n d Tow n fa ll en b e hi nd i n e du cat i ona l l eve ls ?
Loca l s c h oo ls h a v e b een v e r y near t h e State l e v e ls in
d r o p o u t r a t e s of s c h o ol c hil d r en be t ween t h e f i ft h and twe l ft h
gr a d e s: th e 1962 gr a dua ti n g c l a ss e s i n Wil k es Co un ty i nc lu ded 4 6 . 2%
of th o s e who h a d b e gun t h e f i ft h gr a d e s e v e n y ear s ea rli e r, aga ins t
t h e S tate r a t e of 51.8%. U. S. Ce nsus data show ed t hat t h e
pr o por t ion of Wilk e s yo u t h age s 14-1 7 i n s c h o ol i nc r ea s ed f r om
7 5 . 1% i n 1 9 5 0 to 8 2 . 2% in 1 960 , whil e t h e S ta t e g a i ned from 78 .1%
to 82 .8%. S c h o ol consolid at i o ns in t h e Co unt y a r e a ssuri ng
cont inu e d impr o vem e nts i n ed u cat i on o f l oca l s c h o o l c hil dren. Th e
l ag in e du ca ti o n a l l e v e ls of ad ul t s, t h en , is a pp a r en tl y not due
to t h e q u a li ty of c urr e n t l oca l e du cat i on.
T h e pr o p o r t i on of County ad ul t s wi th at l east a hi gh school
educat i on i nc re a s ed f r om 11. 8% i n 1950 to 2 1. 7% in 1960 (State
le v e ls we r e 20 . 8% i n 1950 and 32.3% i n 1 960) , wh ile t h ose wi th
l e ss t h a n f iv e yea rs of s c h ool i ng d r o pp ed f rom 26.4% of Wilke s
adu l t s i n 1950 to 1 9 . 7% i n 1 960 (fo r the State , 2 1.4% i n 1950
to 1 6. 5% i n 1 960). Ho we v e r, the middle g r o up wi th less t han a
h i gh s c h oo l ed u cat i on but at l east f i ve yea rs of s choo li ng wa s
bare l y r ed u ced i n Wil ke s f r om 6 1. 8% i n 1950 to 58.6% i n 196 0 ,
whil e t h e State pr o p o r t io n dro pp ed from 57 . 8% i n 1950 to 51.2%
i n 1 960 . I f l oca l s c h oo ls o p e r ate at State l eve l s , wh y has t h e
overa ll a d u l t l e v e l of ed u cat i on n o t ga i ned mo r e? Th e answer
is: A LA RG E PROPORTI ON OF T HE ADULTS WI TH A BETTE R-THAN - AVERAGE
EDUCAT I ON HAVE MI GR ATED OUT OF THE COUNTY . Data for 195 0 a re
unava il a bl e fo r Wi lke sboro Townsh ip, but 1960 data suggest that
NORTH WI LK ESBO RO LOST MORE OF I TS WELL - EDUCATED ADULTS TO
SUBU RBAN AREAS THAN TO OU TMI GRAT I ON.
- 32 -
Object Description
Description
| Title | Page 81 |
| Full Text | EDUCATION: THE COUNTY HAS FALLEN FARTHER BEHIND THE STATE AND THE NATION LOCAL EDUCATION APPEARS TO BE AT THE STATE LEVEL BUT MANY WELL EDUCATED ADU LTS ARE MIGR AT I NG Fi g u re 4 sho ws t hat the med i an ed u cat i ona l l evel of Wilkes Co u nty a dul t s was 7 . 2 yea r s of sc h ooling in 19 5 0 , increas i ng on l y to 7.7 i n 1 960 . Thus, a l t h o u gh the County wa s b e l ow State and nat i o n a l l e vels in 1 950 , i t s educat i ona l l e v e l fe l l fart h er beh i nd d uri n g t h e 1 9 5 0 - 60 deca d e . The Town of North Wilkesbo r o in 1950 wa s a b o v e t h e urban Sta t e and ove r al l nat i ona l level s, but dur i ng t h e 1950 - 60 de cade t h e r e wa s vi r t u a ll y no ga i n i n t h e Town leve l of a dul t e du cat i ona l at t a i nment , and t h e Town fe l l b e hi nd t he urban State and o v e r a ll nat i ona l l e v e ls by 1960. What h a pp ened? Wh y h a v e b ot h Coun ty a n d Tow n fa ll en b e hi nd i n e du cat i ona l l eve ls ? Loca l s c h oo ls h a v e b een v e r y near t h e State l e v e ls in d r o p o u t r a t e s of s c h o ol c hil d r en be t ween t h e f i ft h and twe l ft h gr a d e s: th e 1962 gr a dua ti n g c l a ss e s i n Wil k es Co un ty i nc lu ded 4 6 . 2% of th o s e who h a d b e gun t h e f i ft h gr a d e s e v e n y ear s ea rli e r, aga ins t t h e S tate r a t e of 51.8%. U. S. Ce nsus data show ed t hat t h e pr o por t ion of Wilk e s yo u t h age s 14-1 7 i n s c h o ol i nc r ea s ed f r om 7 5 . 1% i n 1 9 5 0 to 8 2 . 2% in 1 960 , whil e t h e S ta t e g a i ned from 78 .1% to 82 .8%. S c h o ol consolid at i o ns in t h e Co unt y a r e a ssuri ng cont inu e d impr o vem e nts i n ed u cat i on o f l oca l s c h o o l c hil dren. Th e l ag in e du ca ti o n a l l e v e ls of ad ul t s, t h en , is a pp a r en tl y not due to t h e q u a li ty of c urr e n t l oca l e du cat i on. T h e pr o p o r t i on of County ad ul t s wi th at l east a hi gh school educat i on i nc re a s ed f r om 11. 8% i n 1950 to 2 1. 7% in 1960 (State le v e ls we r e 20 . 8% i n 1950 and 32.3% i n 1 960) , wh ile t h ose wi th l e ss t h a n f iv e yea rs of s c h ool i ng d r o pp ed f rom 26.4% of Wilke s adu l t s i n 1950 to 1 9 . 7% i n 1 960 (fo r the State , 2 1.4% i n 1950 to 1 6. 5% i n 1 960). Ho we v e r, the middle g r o up wi th less t han a h i gh s c h oo l ed u cat i on but at l east f i ve yea rs of s choo li ng wa s bare l y r ed u ced i n Wil ke s f r om 6 1. 8% i n 1950 to 58.6% i n 196 0 , whil e t h e State pr o p o r t io n dro pp ed from 57 . 8% i n 1950 to 51.2% i n 1 960 . I f l oca l s c h oo ls o p e r ate at State l eve l s , wh y has t h e overa ll a d u l t l e v e l of ed u cat i on n o t ga i ned mo r e? Th e answer is: A LA RG E PROPORTI ON OF T HE ADULTS WI TH A BETTE R-THAN - AVERAGE EDUCAT I ON HAVE MI GR ATED OUT OF THE COUNTY . Data for 195 0 a re unava il a bl e fo r Wi lke sboro Townsh ip, but 1960 data suggest that NORTH WI LK ESBO RO LOST MORE OF I TS WELL - EDUCATED ADULTS TO SUBU RBAN AREAS THAN TO OU TMI GRAT I ON. - 32 - |
