The men who did the hiring were not "hard and unfeeling," according to a contemporary writer. "Many of them received their education in the coal breaker [and] frankly affirm their belief that these early years in the coal breaker are better for the boys than the same number of years spent in school."
Ethnic and racial prejudice and discrimination were also factors that affected the education of children in the minefields. A representative of the Academy of Political and Social Science wrote early in the century that efforts to restrict child labor were opposed "on the ground that child labor in the coal region is not the labor of the 'American child,' but rather the labor of the little ignorant Slav or other foreigner, who is 'much better off working there than he could possibly be in . . . the public school which he cannot appreciate.'" However, child laborers in the mines came from both native American families and immigrant families.
The children of immigrant miners presented a unique problem. Some historians believe that these families, rather than looking for the highest wages, often sought out company towns "with the best schools . . . so their children could learn English." And often immigrant children allowed to remain in school excelled in their studies, outperforming children born in the United States. However, contemporary writers claimed that the foreign population presented greater problems in regard to taking their children from school than did native-born Americans. Many of "these people are ignorant of our English language, ignorant of the value of our American institutions, ignorant of the handicap they are placing on their little ones by this premature employment."
In 1920, nearly 21 percent of all foreign born workers were illiterate, and 12.7 percent of those who came from non-English-speaking countries did not speak English. This number of illiterate miners had an important bearing upon the hazards of coal mining. Non-English-speaking people and children were involved in a large number of accidents, and the Academy writer claimed that situation would continue "until these people acquire sufficient knowledge of the English language to be able to protect themselves in the performance of their duties." But, the writer goes on to ask, "How are these ignorant mine laborers 'to acquire sufficient knowledge of the English language to understand orders given by foremen and thus to be able to protect themselves in the performance of their duties,' if they are to be permitted to enter the mines and breakers [as children], hundreds of them having never spent a year, or even a month, in a public school?"
