What was education like in the 1930s and 40s?

During the Depression, the problems of American education rose to the surface. Although public education was free to all, the quality of schooling available in different parts of the country varied drastically. In some areas, such as the rural South, the public school system was starved for money.

What was education like in the 1930s?

1930s: School was considered a luxury for low- and middle-income children. Schools were overpopulated, underfunded, and an estimated 20,000 schools in America closed. Transportation was an issue—there were no buses or cars so children had to walk often long distances.

What was education like in the 1940s?

American education was transformed in the 1940s. At all levels it became better organized, better funded, and more standardized across the country. Universities were modernized. In subjects such as literature, history, and the arts, the college curriculum was made more professional and was more carefully thought out.

What was happening in the 1930s and 40s?

The Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and the start of World War II on the European front were some of the most impactful historical events of the time. These events influenced what our ancestors wore, what they did for work, how they managed their homes, where they lived, what they did for fun, and much more.

Did people go to college in the 1930s?

Moreover, the majority of the roughly one half million female college students in the 1930s would have been attending their local state universities or state normal (teacher training) colleges, not elite women's institutions.

History Brief: Daily Life in the 1930s

Did they have high school in the 1930s?

Teens who could not find employment enrolled in high school, changing high school enrollment numbers increased from 11,546 in 1930 to 19,638 by the end of the decade. While high school enrollment increased, funding did not.

What age did kids start school in the 1930s?

I went to school during the depression years when times were hard and money scarce. I had one Sunday dress and a pair of shoes and two dresses for school and an everyday pair of shoes. I did not begin school until I was almost eight years old as no one began until their seventh birthday.

What was the 1940s era called?

The 1940s tower over every other decade of the 20th century as the most full of sorrow, patriotism, and ultimately, hope and the beginning of a new era of American dominance on the world stage. This decade, commonly called "the war years," is synonymous with World War II.

Why was life hard in the 1930s?

The Great Depression began in 1929 when, in a period of ten weeks, stocks on the New York Stock Exchange lost 50 percent of their value. As stocks continued to fall during the early 1930s, businesses failed, and unemployment rose dramatically. By 1932, one of every four workers was unemployed.

What was the nickname for the 1930s?

The Dust Bowl in the United States (which led to the nickname the "Dirty Thirties") exacerbated the scarcity of wealth.

Did kids go to school in 1940?

For the 1940 school year, that was about 51%. By 1950, it was up to 59%, but it had dropped during WW2. Only 3.8% of women and 5.5% of men had bachelor's degrees in 1940. By 1950, that was up to 5.2% and 7.3%.

Was there homework in the 1940s?

Throughout the 1940s, homework gradually returned to U.S. schools and by 1948, high school students in this country had approximately three to four hours of homework each night. Events such as World War II and the Cold War strengthened the pro-homework tide.

Was there high school in the 1940s?

By 1940, 73% of American youths were enrolled in high school and the median American youth had a high school diploma. The movement began in New England but quickly spread to the western states.

Was there homework in the 1930s?

1930: Homework as Child Labor

In 1930, an organization known as the American Child Health Association declared that homework was a type of child labor. Since laws against child labor had recently been passed, this proclamation reflected a less-than-favorable view of homework as an acceptable educational practice.

What was it like to be a kid in the 1930s?

Economically, many children worked both inside and outside the home; girls babysat or cleaned house, boys hustled papers or shined shoes, and both ran errands and picked crops. Yet the scarcity of jobs led record numbers of children to remain in school longer.

Did girls go to school in the 1930s?

According to the U.S. Office of Education, the total number of enrollment for women in higher education the U.S. in 1930 was 480,802.

Was school free in the 1930s?

During the Depression, the problems of American education rose to the surface. Although public education was free to all, the quality of schooling available in different parts of the country varied drastically. In some areas, such as the rural South, the public school system was starved for money.

What was school like during the Great Depression?

The Great Depression had a huge impact on the education of students' lives. Children living in both the city and rural, or countryside, areas had fewer teachers, fewer supplies, and fewer extra classes offered, and many children quit school to work on farms or in factories.

What era was known as the Dirty Thirties?

The Dust Bowl, also known as “the Dirty Thirties,” started in 1930 and lasted for about a decade, but its long-term economic impacts on the region lingered much longer. Severe drought hit the Midwest and southern Great Plains in 1930.

Why the 40s were great?

Victorious in war and with a booming economy, Americans were determined to enjoy the fruits of their labors. Many families who had put off having children during the Depression and the war now looked with joy to having children.

What was invented in 1940s?

Featured inventions include: the jet engine, the computer, the microwave oven, kitty litter, and the Crash Test Dummy.

Was the 1930s a good decade?

The stock market crash of 1929 led to years of economic troubles for the U.S. and the world. The Great Depression was worsened by a multitude of factors: bank runs, a decline in industrial production, and an increase in unemployment. The Dust Bowl was another devastating event.

Was school mandatory in the 1930s?

Compulsory laws

Thirty states with compulsory schooling laws required attendance until age 14 (or higher). As a result, by 1910, 72 percent of American children attended school. Half the nation's children attended one-room schools. By 1930, every state required students to complete elementary school.

What did kids do in 1930?

Most children played in the streets as there were not many cars. Marbles, hopscotch, skipping and football were popular games. In summer, cricket was played in the streets or on village greens.

When did they start hitting kids in school?

Corporal punishment was widely accepted in US public schools in the latter part of the 19^th century and the early 20^th century. While New Jersey banned corporal punishment by statute in 1867,¹⁷⁹ many other US states, including Michigan, Connecticut, and Nevada, did not enact a ban until the late 1980s or early 1990s.