The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-02
VACATION.
Shall the Public Schools Remain
Open Tnis Summer?
TEACHERS PLEAS FOR REST.
Views OF the Commss oners OF Educa.
tlon on the Subject.

Is burdcuei witt cares aud troubles OF which the
general public, notwii standing the great pride
IT takes in The excellent system. has but a faint
iisa That administration, as everybody knows. Is
sutject to The vhms and iancies OF the many heads
composing tie board OF Education. Everything per-
taining 10 the internal management OF the school
system progresses day after day like clock work,
and the internal economy been brought during
these latter days 10 such Gne point thar any IN.
curing ciiizcn at ascertain the actual ex.
pendure per head incurred by tue Board, which, so
Tar scAool books school nture concerned,
only reaches tr,a Ig OF 81 IS Tor each pupil.
Propositions to make change here aud thcre, how
ever constantly disturb the cquanmity OF officers
well teachers. A short time since the HERALD
ave the oil prominent school officials regard
the proposition recently abolish The coorcd
schools through the city, but at the time
subject lar greater anu immediate interest 10
scholars and teachers was agitang tho minds OF ths
3,25l persons charged win nstructing the youth OF
NOV YORK proposition made by Comm missioner
Jclha. the 22i inst. TO keap open o. the pub
nc schools dulng the summer vacation Is the great
source Of TINS agitation When II IS ,memDercd that
oil the 3,25l teachers above mentioned =, So.
belong TO The female sex, or usntyseven per cen,
readily De Understood that Com JcIiine's
proposition, before the Committee Course oil
Stuay and school, Books, has fallen IKE a bombshcl
among this large class OF deserving women, who
tho Dcsl Of Their lifetime toward max ne good
boys and girls out OF New YorNs rather MY IN
iaute army, which numbers no less tnan 10000
sous.
VACATION ADVOCATED.
Before 1872 the puulic school vacations did be.
gin TIL the last Frld,y Ia Juiy. but since that
time the schools nave been closed on July J. rne
reason why the change was made At the timc was
iuily iortn BY President Wood yesterday. II
iourd." he said ''.hat mother teachers nor pupils,
especi ,ily the schools, could keep their
eyes open 1, was impossible tor them keep awake,
owing 10 the SITTING heat In the uptown schools,
irequeuted by the cniiaren OF rich parents found
the majority absent during the month Of July, their
parents having taken tnem 10 the country Even
tho parents OF poor children would not send IL ttlt
things through tho broing sun 10 scnool for teas
that they might be sunstruc<. IL was tnon that tns
Board OF Education ordered the change TO be made
to july 5. and Il mas ever since remained so.
la iaci, the moment The Fourth OF July arrives
always lau a holiday spirit prevailing among
parents aud children, AMI Il Is very d iout 10 gel
latter TO attend to their studies after
W. lave even, ~ changing the daio 10 Jul, 8 sue
ceeaea IN causing many parents 10 remain IN the cry
uutlI Thai Nue, ana these people heretofore took
their children from school In June. B, koep,ng no
virtually DC turned nurseries. the city would
MADE To do lac work an exercise the care OF par-ats
aud their number Is icglou, VINO do not TO be
bothered with lheir Own IN pring"
TIE REFuRMEKs VIEWS
Commissioner samuel 4. Jeiiire, who himself has
bceu tutor the public schools anu also la me CITY
college, INTERCEPTED by tue reporter IN regard 10
tue changes he proposes 10 effect ny ms rssoiu.
lion. He saddle we have lt0, Vu0 children Ia Lno
public schools not more than th,rty-tbroo per cent
can 90 ~ the country Ths throws 10 0Oo 10 $4,000
cnldrcn IN The streets during the worst season o
year. Tue record OF vital statistics SHOVE that there
Is Immediately alter Vacation has SET ~ great
crease IA the humber oil .satnr by accidents, an ~.
crease large numorr oi MINOR oneuces. no nme-
daie result Of 80 many ehndren roaming AZ hDerty
through the streets. UBder tue operation also
| Of tue Compulsory schooi Jaw children must 20
nj least fourteen weeks To The schools. these sum
nor Vacations give them eignt weeks al tinu when
| business IN the city 10 generally very dull ana
they Could take advantage oil tue educational iacli.
tics Afforded Nv tue SCHOOLS For their Dench alone
some oi the schools SHOULD be Kept open. / th,Dk
that the summer schools should De regarded ms tho
natural extension OF our school system, the same
the evening schools. IL true teachers need
vacation, but some OF thom canuol 20 out OF town.
Then every there large uumDer OF graduates
IRON Normal College anxious TO tcacn ana, again,
there otncrs who arc willing TO Work uurns these
months tue work DE not TOO heavy, that do not
mink much difficulty will be iouud IA obtaining the
rcquirca number of teachers My iaea Is 10 Keep the
scnoos open, 80 tnat tue gris have plenty vi
Tag 10 do ana the boys plenty OF drawing. The work
be Performed IN these Summer schools SHOULD not be
exactins nor too much mental application, nor much
phy sica labor only just enough 10 Keep tue seventy
| nvc thousand IDLE children OF New York out OF tue
| strccIs"
COUNTING cosr.
Coo missioner Manierrc, IA member OF tho Commit
tee saiarios anu ECONOMY, said --'commissioncr
JoIfc, DOUBT, thinks conscien ousiy that the
noyalion would DO good thing 10 ao probably also.
he has au idea oil nain,ainIg tue buildings IA good
order during The sumner months. but most Of lh,m
| do need repairing ana ovefhauins once year Hiz
idea may very excellent, but would about
500 0Oo 10 carry Tor year only Tho even.
in.s scho~Is cost the city $4,000 per aEnum,
aud the expenditure oil this ADDITIONAL 5000 woad
givo no adequate returu regard II as i cnimesieaI
project throughout. The motive may DO u very good
one but WA prove DISASTROUS iai!uro some OF iuese
~ tor human beibgs 10 1.-Two in, and OF
the teachers might poDabiy accept tho tddtona pay
W. would have to gave tncin but they SHOULD not 10
compelled to do ~ The community AZ large has nvt
the least idca what nardworKed set these teachers
are. Tne demand upon tneir nefyoas aud physical
Ia Nm
IL ADDITION 10 tue not very pleasant w.rk o teach.
ing all classes OF cDdrsn they muss keep themselves
a least daily wspaper and tho ieaiing maya.
zines 50 as TO DO well acquainted with contemporaries.
Tnn COMMISSIONERS vfEws
Commissioner hsistead. CHAIRMAN OF tue Committee
Toacsers, SAID. when intern the SUBJECT:
III ~ impossiDe, " cannot 10 done. Look Al the
applications Tor leave Of absence received every nay
ifsn these teachers, now that we are yet month
from vacation. These ladies' cannot work any harder.
They cannot stand ~
CONNIE siouef DoSSELLy Il was not present whom
Commissioner JeiIne offered his resolution don't
know even that such a thing has been proposed. I
nave not looked into tho matter al all but 80 Tar as ~
strikes me NOV, without desiring at All 10 iorestall
opiuon that may TORN Dy carefully looking into tho
sutJcus, tn'nk y would DO very injadicous move
meat.
wmKnK SCHOOLS ARR NEEDED.
Comm lssioncr Ferdinand fraud, member OF tho
Commit,cc on Course OF study. 10 whom Commls-
stoner J.liines resolution has been referred, saa
- tnnk u woula De good thing 10 nave the schools
ib wards Ike tue Tenth. Eleventh. IhIrtcenth and
Seventeenth Kept open curing tho summer months.
The charvn tnore cannot to tue country. and they
ARE better taken care oil Iu tae schoo rooms than
the teHemcnts. Wncn l was connected with the Ger
Tree school Fourth street. near FIRST avenue.
where there are no VACATIONS Whatever wo Admitted
every year "A number OF children from the pubic
schools They renamed Win AS during tue summer
months anu returned to the pubic schools IA Soptsm.
ber. The experiment mas boon successfully tried In
several towns IN New Engisnd. ana do not see why
We snoad not ry ~ al least IA tue eastern section VI
the ,iiy, among tho poorer classes. whose children
have no chance to 80 TO tine coantry"
srrEkiSrKNDkNr KipDLK
super ntendent kludie on beng inturrogate6 as to
his views tu regard TO tue subject sad:-"rnc matter
~ o such vast portance mat Ia oicia capacity
DO not care 70 express an OPINION on matter thnt
lies entirely within tue province oil tue Board oil Edu
cation. can ouy this (rclerriUg 10 his last
nual repor that AZ tue closing session Of July The
aggregate number OF pupils 10 Attendance at tho
pubic schools only 81 1871, wniie nave reported
~ igh an average atcndauce rs llv, OV0' When