The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-01
NEW YORK SCHOOL OVENS.
CHILDREN'S LIVES JEOPdRDIzED
BY THE OTERCROWDIN0.
Lack OF Ventilation and Lack OF Light
schools where schools should not be-Hew
Business IL Made for the Grave Diggers.

-
Lack OF Ventilation and Lack OF Light
schools where schools should not bc-Hew
business IL Made for the Grave DiEEers.
At meeting Of the Committee on By
laws Of the Department OF Education on Mon.
day, the subject OF the overcrowdinR OF the
public schools was considered, and 1t was pro-
posed to exclude from the schools those chill
dren who do not live IN tho ward In which tho
school Is situated. Some doubt was expressed
whether such a rule would not conflict with tho
law, and after a warm discussion the subject
was laid over until the next meeting.
A member Of tho board said yesterday, and
an other member Of the Board concurrcd with
him in the opinion. that as long Is the existing
sliding scale OF salaries for principals and vice
principals depending upon the number Of pupils
under their charge is In vogue, the crowding OF
students will continue, and As long as local
boards OF trustees are able TO augment their
patronage by the appointment OF an increasing
number OF teachers, the evil Is not likely to be
abated.
It may be added that some schools are over
crowded because OF the excellence OF their
reputation, and in such cases tho teachers eK-
ertions are required to thin out rather than to
increase the number OF pupils.
The primary depai tment OF Grammar School
- in Allen street, between Hester and Canal
streets. has a larger regular attendance than any
other primary school In the city one month
AGO seventeen hundred little children gathered
there daily, but since then nearly two hundred
have been promoted to the grammar depart
ment. ana the number registered Is about
hundred children, who are divided Into twenty
nve classes, there are only twenty rooms that
were made to bc class rooms Fourteen Of
ing fronting on Hester street. and SIX
are Ia the main building. T9e hre
remaining classes are taught In rooms that are
converted out Of the main assembly hall by
means OF sliding partitions, OF these nve, tho
rear Sns TGDs arg sa yse Sy seap
tion therefron. but the two IN front OF them
have only one window each, and three sides Of
above and panelled beneath, so that three
fourths OF the light they have is borrowed. and
thrce-fourths Of the air Is from other class
rooms, and has already been used and made lm-
pure.
CRIMINAL PACKING.
In these two sweat boxes $50 innocent chill
dren and their teachers spend ave hours n day.
II the rooms were well ventilated and sufficiently
lighted, forty persons In each would be as many
as could safely spend the day In them.
In the extra, or additional building, nearly 900
children are backed into fourteen rooms Three
OF the rooms have incomplete classes; the
Others have seventy or eighty children each.
In every room but one in the buildings the air
Is close and imnure, aud there Is either bright
sunshine dazzling the pupils eyes. or dim
light. IN whicn either reading or writing Is dim-
cult. A few revolving ventatoTs In the win
dows might clear the rooms of foul air, and a
few cheap awnings might shelter the tender
| eyes from the glare Of the sun. As ventilation
| can be secured only bv throwing open the win
dows, all the rooms have to be kept either too
warm or too cold, alternately. At the end OF
| the addition nearest the main building, both
outside air ana light are shut out from a series
| Of rooms, one above the other, in three stories
| and 1t Is found necessary for the health
| and comfort OF the children TO change the class
cs so that one class shall occupi these wretched
places only half day at time. The principal
| Of this school frankly admits that the charge OF
1.500 children and two buildings Is too great for
The primary department OF School rs, in Fifth
| street, between First and Second avenues, has
but IL can legtimately accommodate only one
half that number. The department was origin
classes. 10 accommodate this surplus ono
room Is borrowed from another depart
and threo classes are taught in tho large
assembly room. The building Is new, but
| II Is utterly without provision for ventilation.
sTIFLIS0 ATMOSPHERE.
| Ono room on the southeast corner Is so
! close to stable that IN warm weather IL
Is next to impossible TO breathe in It, and at
| all times the stable excludes necessary light
| from the room. Yet between 60 and 20 children
study there daily. There has been much sick
class were confined at home with the measles
| last week. Since October only six new pupils
| have been admitted, although numerous aptli-
cations have been made, and the principal Is
| frequently scolded bl parents for turning their
children away. She says that IN the neghbor-
hood there are three schools that are able TO ad
mit the surplus pupils that dock To her. These
i are Primary - IN Nlntn street ana FIRST avenue
| No 0. in First street. aud Grammar School IL, IN
Iwelftn street, near Avenue n
| The primary department Of Grammar School
| l3, In East Houston street. has about 1909 pupils,
or almost twice AS many as It can properly ac-
| commodate By doubling classes In two rooms,
| using a store room on the ground floor and par
| titiOning four classes apart In the assembly
| room by means OF screens. the httle army Is
cared for. OF course, 10 Instead OF 81 children
constitute class. The rooms on the southeast
corner OF this school house are too dark 10 be
wholesome Unmanageabe Franklin wood
| neat the building. and 6lgkness
As u makeshiit fifty little children are taught
ground under the building. The room is about
| IL by feet, has square hole In one end nd
barfeu, jn- Ike window In the other. and Is
Near by, 10 First street. Primary School sis
so sparsely attended that some Of its rooms are
INSUFFICIENT LIGuT.
Grammar School -. In Chrystle street, has In
its primary department 100 children. This de-
| pnrtmont is divided into eighteen classes, al
| tuOugh IL has only sixteen rooms, four OF which
| should be improved or Abandoned In two
rooms, which are converted out Of tho assembly
| rooms by means uf Two sliding partitions, liO
children sit In impure air and In the Hight OF two
| windows, one TO each room. Eighty children In
| another room sit with their backs to the scanty
| Hight. when the children assemble In the
morning, many are obliged TO stand In the
aisles aad around the sides Of the room.
| Four class rooms have been recovered from the
| playground, which was originally Intended for a
much smaller number OF children than exer-
| else IN II now, and these rooms are not only
| dark and cold, but the air is ioul. Yet In the
worst Of them larse class Is confined. II Is,
| icarfuliy prevalent this winter. one hundred
| nrd 1fty children were absent with measles at
| one time.
| Primary School 8, in East Houston street, is
| more fortunate than any II the above schools In
| being removed from other buildings on three
side. one eide is deprived Of light and air,
| seventy pupils in roOms that are not large
enough for forty.