The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-29
OUR CHILDREN IN DANGER.
a TALK WIN THE President or
THE hoard or EDUC4TION.
The Result of Visit to some Of the Schools
Testimony MS to their OvcrcrowdinU-
Where n sweeping Reform IL Needed.

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The Result of visit TO some Of the SCHOOLS
Testimony rs to their Ovcrcrowdinu-
Where sweeping Reform - Needed.
When the attention Of President wood
Of the Board Of Education was called to the let
ter printed in TIE Sun on SUNDAY. IN which was
set forth the dangers to which school children
are exposed through the insufficient ventilation
and capacity Of the school buildings. he snid
th what was therein stated was correct. ave
are raising children to Kill them" said he. AS
long as the law permits children Of four years OF
age to attend school, the primary schools will
remain overcrowded, and Will continue to DO
merely nurseries, as they are to-day"
Yesterday MIR. Wood wrote to Senator B3oth.
requesting him to give his attention to this sub
ject. 1t Is MIR. Woods belief that tho law should
be altered 50 that children under six years Of
age should not be eligible to the schools The
little four-year-old children are sent to school
to a great degree, because Of the relief parents
gain during their absence: but. at the same
time, the classes IN which they are taught are
little else than nurseries.
President Wood saws there are still other
causes Tor tue oNefciowdtng OF the primary
schools. The primary departments Of the large
grammar schools aye often crowded with
scholars VINO the regular primary schools are
nut SHINY attended, or are. IA Is the case In
FIRST street. entirely deserted. This Is because
the little ones are frequently taken to and from
school bv their elder sisters or brothers. aud II
the scaool which the latter attend has a primary
department, tier charges are naturally taken
to It, Thus Primary school No. .. In First street,
is without scholar. while the primary depart
mcnt ~ Grammar school No. 10, In Houston
street, has alioscthcr too many.
President Wood has discovered also. that tho
reputation uf a school will attract mor, than II
can accommodate, while equally good schools
tor all arc graded aliSc) suffer Tor want Of
sch"l.r.. Among the erammAr schools. for in
nc sixth avenue, Is attended 10y bows as FAR
away as Fo. dhlm and fremont, while schools
ne by present rows Of empty seats, because
thcv have not the reputation the other eujovs.
The primary department. ~ school No. :, IN
the tenth Ward, Is in need Of immediate atten-
ton Tue old school building which Will have
stood " years In May - without "a cellar, and
the ground door which IL occupied by the
smaller children Is damp, not only 10y ahsotp-
ton from tue ground beneath, but, in wet
weather from the rlly ground, which Is even
ON the other. Between seven and eight
hundred children attend this school. For
the fourteen classes into which this number
Is divided, there are but eleven class rooms. so
that II has been found necessary to double the
classes In the two largest rooms and allow the
fourteenth class to study In the great assembly
room H. which the entire school gathers to hear
the Bible read each morning. Four of the class
rooms on the ground nOor are scarcely larger
than ordinary sleeping apartments, yet into
them on rows Of long benches from sixty to
sevt ltv little urchins arc squcezed. The room
occupied by the teachers desk and by the uig
olj fashioned wood stove, vs. so great that the
chiidren are packed as ciose as their arms
VIII hermit. The rooms have no yentllttors
aud ;he teachers ind that II the windows are
left open those children that sit under them
c1mp'ain that the air PUSHES down upon them,
and II the DOORS left ajir draft i created aud
colds are contracted. In addi lion, there IS SO
little room between the school house aud tue
buildings on each side that the liht l. shut out.
ana scholars who sit but a few feet from the
windows have their sight strained in trying To
read their lessons or the pencil marks upon
their states. There Us scarcely auy play grounds.
| The local board Of school Trustee. have for A
number OF years urged tue erection 81 new
building in IT'S place. rat the Board Of Elura-
ton viii only permit the improycment 90 the
present structure. Heretofore both sides have
stubboruly refused To- agree and the Present
shameful condition 81 things has been coatin.
ned, but u Ia now declared that tho local board
has ielded, and the reconstructi' will soon be
begun.
In the primary department; a. Grammar school
No.4i IN North Moore street. airs are little bet
ter. Nearly so scholars occupy what was iutend-
ed for nalf as many. A. there ave IL classes and
ony cla,s rooms. room up stars has been
borrowed from a higher depari ment, aud three
or four classes are taught in the assembly room
In TINS huidinE there Is no means OF Ventilation
except by opening windows and that resultsfn
| colds, and In too much noise from the STR ct.
When the writer was shown through the class
rooms Yesterday. he found the atmosphere in
them hot and impure. and he saw, In some cases,
more children than the regular number of seats
would accommodate so that extra benches were
In Use, and In all cases. moro children than either
| inc rooms or tn, ures,riped nuub r of ,.ul,h,-
should tie made to hold. Many OF the children
were pale and hollow eyed. and with their
| teachers, they mrintainod an incess"nt chorus
| Of coughing. As W a the case "a rchI 40. =.
| oil hthera, measles, and whpoiing CoI.n had
| tccn yers prevalent among the scholars dur NJ;
| la the N1rth Moore street school the local
| board attempted o. remedy the trNu' L. hy for
bidding the admission u aay more children. ard
| by pr lmutiug ur r1y one hundred cAlldren 20
| the mex. higher deuattmcnt. hut although
| these rules We're enforced more tuan 70 month
! ago, tie condition Of things Is as above de-
! scrihcd.
Grammar school No. =. in Grand. nclrwoostcr
| street, occupies new Guiding. and It's primary
| department has on.y 40 children. although It
could properly accommo late nearly one hun
| rear rooms need to be lign,ed vita gas. a hi ht
| by which inf lnts' eyes should never be tried.
| Primary SHOOT No. -. IA Warren street. near
| College place, has but few scholars, and occu.
| pies a veil ventilated and amply lighted build
| ing. The play ground, however. Is the ground
| nOoT and Is at once cramped, dark and damp