Atlanta Daily World

Statistics Back Court's Ruling

NEW YORK - (ANP) - Statistics released last week by a national scholarship fund organization conclusively backs up the Supreme Court's ruling that the so-called separate-but-equal school system, while separate, is far from equal.

The statistics were released in an interim report on the first year's results of a two-year, South-wide "talent search" undertaken by the National Scholarship Service and Fund for Negro students. The survey was financed by a $170,000 grant from the Ford Foundation's Fund for the Advancement of Education.

The search was aimed at uncovering qualified Negro college candidates.

Statistics disclosed that only half the students in the top 10 percent of the senior classes in 81 highest-ranking Negro high schools in the South possessed minimum college qualifications. Evaluation standard used was a version of the generally accepted college entrance examination board scholastic aptitude test.

Only six percent of the Negro group tested did as well or better than the average in a comparative exam taken by white students.

Tests were given to 1,485 students from so-called 'separate but equal' schools. Of the group of top students, less than half attained minimum scores for college admission.

Of 737 qualifying, 399 indicated their desire to go to an interracial college. Of the latter number, 207 actually completed applications. Only 197 were accepted and only 191 finally enrolled.

Of qualifying students who showed no interest in attending an interracial college, 70 percent applied to Negro colleges where most were readily accepted.

On the basis of figures disclosed by the project, there are now 1,200 Negro students each year throughout the entire South who could be considered qualified college candidates. The figure, however, includes only those in the upper 10 percent of their class and who have taken a college preparatory course.