New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-25
WHAT THE SUPERINTENDENT THINKS.

WHAT THE SUPERINTENDENT THINKS.
Calvin Patterson, the City Supcrintendent,wa ior
nine wears tho principal of Grammar School No. 10
in Depraw-st Two years ago he was elected 10 his
present position.
What do your schools need most ~ asked the re-
porter yesterday of Dir. Patterson.
"Money," was the laconic reply.
How much is necessary presentP
"To put Our primary and grammar schools INTO
buildings which should afford such accommodations
that each child could have a desk would require an
immediate outlay of 100000. We need to have
twenty new primary schools each accommodating
900 children The Brooklyn schOol-houses are built
on the most economical plan possible. There is no
large assembly-rOom in the New-Iork schools
Int all the class rooms floor. being separated Dy
sliding glass DOORS form the asscmbly-roOm."
"How many children would be added to your
schools this year. if there more room =
"On a moderate estimate 5000 at once, not to
sneak of the large draft from the private schools
which would seek admittance if it were known that
there was room for more children There are I;IoO
pupils in the private schools of Brooklyn. when
the Board of Education has caught up with the
school population. will then need three new
schools formed every year to keep pace with the III
SDOes your course of study make examining
@Not Mt all although il should be revised The
principal of Brooklyn school is held responsible
Tor many things that are shifted in New-York to
the shoulders of the assistant superintendent ms
fact nsures u reasonable Interpretation OF the re-
auirements in the course of study, and proper
adaptation to the conditions of the various classes
TWO HUNDRED PUPILS IN A BASEMENT.
"Vsit any school you please said Superintend-
ent Patterson to the reporter and see its condition
for yourself" Grammar School No. "A, at Wall ana
Beayer-sts.. was selected. On Wednesday afternoon
Al, Al, ol,..I Il ina lor0p hrig
building erected in 1873 and has l. $50 regular sit
tings in the several rooms 1850 of them beng for
primary children. The average register for October
was as follows: Grammar grades SOL and pr-
mary grades ,G50-60O more children than there
are regular sttings Besides the three floors which
are large airy and we'll ventilated, there are two
rooms in the basement formerly occupied by tho
ianltor The ceiling is low, there is sink III one Of
the rooms, the children have no desks, being
crowded together on settees, and the light comes
through two windows of medium size, full III the
teachers face Tho children had been dismissed an
hour before the reporter entered the room. The
windows were open, but there was a disaSfecahle
odor suggestive OF q ten-cent clearinghouse Mr.
Merwin, the principal of the school, said that there
had never been any complaint about the sink. but
he had entered the room the day before and found
il 40 close that he ordered the teachers 10 open all
the doors and windows that there might be an en-
tire change of air.
dit is rather small for Classroom" suggested
the reporter. .,..-... ono
children receive all the school instruction that they
get This is one of the halliday class-rooms, aud
the sane teacher has 100 scholars in the forenoon
and the same number in the afternoon. and yet with
this excessive OvcrCrOwding-fOr 1t Is such-l have
refused admission TO more than 800 primary school
children since the school reOpened in Scptcm-
Der. 1 allow one To come under SIX years ana
turn many away that seven eight, and even nine
years old But what can dol
What is the effect of these large classes on your
teaohersV
aThe strain is terrible especially with class of
boys have to change the teachers constantly to
keep them from breaking down. We have twelve
halliday classes and as they not divided until
they number 100 scholars, the average size III the
primary grades was 70 in October. One class to-day
numbered o. The little children are obliged to sit,
seven and eight of them. on seat where not more
than four OF six should be placed
" Will your school be relieved soon !"
aNext month We open branch primary school
two blocks away. | have organized, the classes,
taking the surplus from this school. and even then
am forced to have halliday classes And this
branch school will not supply any increase for tho
children not in school now. We need another
branch here at once"