The National Defense Education Act of 1958 is already a milestone in the
history of American education. It provides broad opportunities for the
intellectual development of all children by strengthening courses of study
in science, mathematics, and foreign languages, by developing new graduate
programs to train additional teachers, and by providing loans for young
people who need financial help to go to college.
The Administration proposed on numerous occasions a broad new five-year
program of Federal aid to help overcome the classroom shortage in public
elementary and secondary schools. Recommendations were also made to give
assistance to colleges and universities for the construction of academic
and residential buildings to meet future enrollment increases.
This Administration greatly expanded Federal loans for building dormitories
for students, teachers, and nurses training, a program assisting in the
construction of approximately 200,000 living accommodations during the past
8 years.
There has been a vigorous acceleration of health, resource and education
programs designed to advance the role of the American Indian in our
society. Last fall, for example, 91 percent of the Indian children between
the ages of 6 and 18 on reservations were enrolled in school. This is a
rise of 12 percent since 1953.
In the field of science and technology, startling strides have been made by
the new National Aeronautics and Space Administration. In little more than
two years, NASA has successfully launched meteorological satellites, such
as Tiros I and Tiros II, that promise to revolutionize methods of weather
forecasting; demonstrated the feasibility of satellites for global
communications by the successful launching of Echo I; produced an enormous
amount of valuable scientific data, such as the discovery of the Van Allen
Radiation Belt; successfully launched deep-space probes that maintained
communication over the greatest range man has ever tracked; and made real
progress toward the goal of manned space flights.
These achievements unquestionably make us preeminent today in space
exploration for the betterment of mankind. I believe the present
organizational arrangements in this area, with the revisions proposed last
year, are completely adequate for the tasks ahead.
Americans can look forward to new achievements in space exploration. The
near future will hold such wonders as the orbital flight of an astronaut,
the landing of instruments on the moon, the launching of the powerful giant
Saturn rocket vehicles, and the reconnaissance of Mars and Venus by
unmanned vehicles.
The application of atomic energy to industry, agriculture, and medicine has
progressed from hope and experiment to reality. American industry and
agriculture are making increasing use of radioisotopes to improve
manufacturing, testing, and crop-raising. Atomic energy has improved the
ability of the healing professions to combat disease, and holds promise for
an eventual increase in man's life span.
Education, science, technology and balanced programs of every kind-these
are the roadways to progress. With appropriate Federal support, the States
and localities can assure opportunities for achieving excellence at all
levels of the educational system; and with the Federal government
continuing to give wholehearted support to basic scientific research and
technology, we can expect to maintain our position of leadership in the
world.