Daily Republican., 1884-03-27
QUITE A CONTRAST.
A WIT TO NO. 2 SCHOOL YESTER
DAY-A NUMBER OFIMPROVE.
MENTA BADLY NEEDED.

Wednesday afternoon arepresentativ
of the REPUBLICAN,, in company VII
Stansbury j. Wiley of the Board Q
Education, paid visit to No. school
situated on the corner of Eleventh ant
Washington streets. This is one of tn
oldest schools in the city and has dom
good service. After inspecting the ne"
schoo! over Eleventh street bridge,
description of which was given yester
day, the above school presented quite
q contrast and the visitors were enabled
to pick out many bad effects, some OF
which should be remedied at once.
! No. 2 school is situated in one of the
best communities in the city, while the
scholars are all bright, cleanly and as
whole az fine set of children as can be
found in any of our schools. This, how
ever, would make no material differ
ence, for 1t has always been the aim of
the Board to treat all alike, be they rich
or poor.
One.of the most Objectionable features
of this school is the old fashioned desks
in the TWO lower ROOMS, which are very
uncomfortable aud should be rooted out
at once. The desks in the other rooms,
with one exception, were replaced last
year with more modern ones and the
rooms made more inviting.
| The exception, however, is a room on
the third floor which has, to use rough
expression, Il lot of "overgrown' desks
large enough fOr two giants to sit at
with comfort, while there is scarcely
room enough in the aisles for a small
boy to pass along with any degree OF
satisfaction.
When the majority Of the scholars are
seated at these desks their feet do not
touch the floor and are kept dangling
to and fro. This alone is doing a posi-
tive injustice to the scholars, while
their position is not a comfortable one
by any means.
The blackboards at this school are
not arranged very systematically and a
decided improvement could be made in
this respect. The ventilation in the
lower rooms might be better and with
several hundred dollars this school
could he made to correspond and be as
omfOrtable as the newer schools. In
addition to a thorough renovation OF
the present structure, instead OF build
a new primary school in this section,
an addition could be built in the rear,
giving double the present capacity,
while at the same time the entire en-
terror arrangement. could be changed
and so constructed as to make the facili-
ties much more pleasant as well as al
ding greater degree Of comfort to all
concerned.
These are facts that need attention,
and each member of he Board of Edu-
cation should pay visit to this school
and see for themselves whether or not
something should be done for this
school. notwithstanding these draw
backs and Inconvenience the teachers
struggle on and endeavor to keep the
school up to It's proper standard,
while the visiting committee assists
them all it can, and the children
learn as rapidly there AZ in any other
schools, but the surroundings are moi
as pleasant as they should be. Instead
Of building new school houses it has
been suggested hv many that increased
school room could be more easily OBJ
tanned by enArgng some OF these Old
buildings, reuovatip9 them and max,
ing them similar 20 n new building.
This could he done in many instances
with small out 'ay and much cheaper
than new buildings could be erected,
while the desired object, more school
room, would be obtained.