Mr. Speaker. I want to call to the attention of our colleagues another program which is supposed to benefit migrant farmworkers. but which has failed to achieve its objectives. Given the fact that up to half of the migrant labor force is under 25 years of age and fully a fourth are between 14 and 17. there can be little doubt that educational opportunities is the most pressing need of migrant farmworkers. Migrant children generally face educational barriers and haphazard educational opportunities because they move with their families or drop out in order to supplement family incomes. The migrant amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was supposed to deal with this problem by providing grants to the States so that they and their localities could plan and operate compensatory education programs for migrant children during the school year and/or summer session. In 1970. 45 of the 47 States eligible to participate in migrant programs drew upon an appropriation of about $51 million. Home States tend to work on a concentrated educational program for the regular school year so that children may leave early and arrive late while host States emphasize compensatory summer session programs for preteens and teenagers. Both types of programs are supposed to attack five major needs of migrant children: language training. health and medical care. cultural development. selfimage improvement. and nutrition. The National Committee on the Education of Migrant Children recently conducted a yearlong study of the status of education for children of migratory farmworkers. Their report. Wednesdays Children. was highly critical of the program.
Keywords matched
migrant Migrant