New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-17
rvrcTERBoCKER SQ0EERS.

We have been prldlng o"soi'0
unon the excellence of the New 4 rK puohc
schools. Yet, if Father Knickerbocker does
not sneedilv wake up from his lethargy, he
IN and himself bracketed with Wackford
soueers for cruelty to children Dotheboys
Hall was not a model institution, but 1T was
frae from some at least Of the abuses of our
public schools 1t may be that the progress oil
the pupils in the polite sciences was somewhat
retarded by their abors in wedding the garden
and washing windows But at all events they
were not poisoned by sewer gas; they were not
huddIed together so closely in crowded rooms
that the foul air sickened them, and steadily
undermined their health; they were not com
PEELED TO pass their play hours in damp cellars
or sporting about the mouths OF sewers; they
were not stihed by stenches from adjacent
stables. It is true that they suffered bitterly
from cold, but so it seems do some OF the chill
dren in our public schools.
Fortunately. public attention is at last being
directed to this situation. The Public Educa-
ton Society, of which Professor j. ). New
berry, of Columbia College, is president. has
lately presented memorial to the Board OF
Education, making a startling showing with
regard to the overcrowding Of the schools and
other abuses. The Committee Of School Ey-
giene of the Ladies' Health Protective Asso-
citation has been visiting a number of schools.
The disclosures in only few cases are enough
to chasten Father Knickerbockers pride in his
common school system and ought 70 arouse him
to some action. In girls school, considered
one Of the best in the city, six classes, com
prising several hundred pupils, were found re-
citing at the same time in the main room, and
all. but twenty Of the children had headaches.
More than 90 confessed to coming to school
| in the morning with headaches. Several rooms
were pervaded by a sichening odor from stables.
Take another case Of a school which is far from
being one OF the worst. In room 10 by 20
feet 10 children were found in another there
were AZ children in room IL feet square; in
another, Ii by 90, more than 90 children. Tho
rooms for the Primary Department being in an
old building with about two feet Of space be-
tween the floor and the earth. the children and
teachers suffer continually from cold Nearly
all the children are obliged to wear wraps, and
in addition to the weak eyes, headaches and
backaches that are common in other schools,
there are cases Of rheumatism, toothache and
neuralgia. In some of the schools the condi-
tons affecting health arc much worse.
| 1t will doubtless be said that the city is now
| building as many schoolhouses as il should
erect at one time. simple answer TO this is
that the city has no right to undermine for any
period the health Of children committed TO its
office. Prompt measures should be taken 10
close every schoolhouse in which the health
of pupils Is in danger, and transfer them 70
decent quarters Of some sort until proper build
ings can be erected. A more energetic effort
should be made TO increase the school accom-
modations. A report recently made by the
Board Of Health inspectors shows that tho re-
quirements OF the Board OF Education with re-
gard to the minimum Of floor surface and ali
space per pupil give less than one-half the
proper amount, even where the ventilation Is
thorough. Where the ventilation is defective
as it frequently is, the disproportion is even
greater But the fact is that the schools are
not able to live up even TO the Boards reg
ulation. The memorial OF the Public Educa-
ton Society names 1875 schoolrooms where
during May, 1888, the rule Of the Board was
disregarded.
II is She children OF the poor who suffer most
for the rich can use the private schools, and Of
those who attend the public schools the young
est children fare the worst. There are too few
teachers. The rooms are densely crowded
They are usually the poorest in the building
We do not believe the people Of New York
would grudge the money needed to change al
this, and very quickly.