New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-09
r,r opEyTNG or THE SCHOOLS.


Tho annual reopening of the public schools,
which takes place to-day, Is an event the III,
+o,est in which is not confined to teachers and
scholars. The vacation season, not Tor the boys
and girls alone but for multitude OF their
narents is determined by the beginning and
ending Of the school year, they cannot go into
tho country until the schools are closed in the
oorIv summer. and with the beginning OF
contomber they must resist the attractions
which would prolong their stay lar INTO one OF
the loyeliest months of the year. ana turh thelr
foces Outward in order that the children nh!
- an hand nj the first autumn roll-call when
tho xyorl, of studying and teaching is resumed
r,horo are some who yield to the temptation
- rouain afeId a little longer though they
.ooIze that il will be harder for the little FOLK
on their return when they find their companions
.o,.o,aI ,veeks in advance in their studies.
Tbo scboobouses will be found to have been
s,yont and garnished and put in the best OF
order. As an article elsewhere prihteu
noints out, there has been an army m
1vorkmen busy during the summer repairing
tho waste ard damage which the school year
Drodpcos Something over $500, 600 has been
snort since the schools closed in making re-
,airs some Of the school buildings having been
r..., ,oorIv made over as far as their interiors
aro concerned For the first ten years new
scbooIhouse requires comparatively Httle at
tontion. but after that it begins 10 ueterorate
,anidlv. and a strict watch must be kept on IL
ard every break made whole In order 10 keep
- in nroper condition for use. There are
.o,oraI now schoOlhouses to be put into
oor,r,ission. as it were this year, but yet the
,,s,,oI comnlaints of overcrowding and insult
eo;ort accommodations will in all probability
ho heard. The work of providing sufficient
sohooI-room for all the children of school age
is one the Importance of which cannot De I'M
nressed too forcibIy on the proper officials
r. ia doubtless out of the question to anticipate
with entire accuracy the movements OF popu-
Iation and the growth of the city so as tC have
= eobooIbouse in readiness whenever there Is
sufficient number of people in any quarter to
demand one: but the problem is one that needs
nnintermittcd vigilance and constant and
caroful study of the changing conditions Of city
life.
Our neichbors in Brooklyn anticipated tho
ononing Of the schools in this city by nearly
week. work having been resumed there on
Tuesday last. 1t was found that the demand
still exceeds the supply, and in spite Of the
effort to build schoohouses fast enough to
keep pace with the rapidly growing population
this has not yet been achieved In consider
able number of cases applications were made
for sittings to be reserved for scholars who had
not returned from the country rive new
buildings are now under way and two of them
will soon be ready for use Besides, there have
been additions to number Of the existing
schooIhouses. Nevertheless there is not room
for all, and even the Central High-School for
girls is overiilIed. With an adequate com
pulsory education law strictly enforced 1t
would be found that more room Is needed In
both cities, and every effort should be put
forth to bring about such conditions that not a
single child will be deprived of his or her right
to an education which the genius of our in
stitutions not only recognizes as indispensable,
but stands ready to enforce with all the
majesty Of the law