Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-01-28
wAsHlNGToNs SCHOOLS.
They Are Good, But Overcrowded
in Every Department..
Scores OF People Who Pay No TaxN In
the District Of Columbia Take Advan-
tase of Its Credftable Educational
Institufions-In Franklin Park.
Especial washington Letter.

UcuUeuI OF the wQlCo SCHOOLS Oh Inc LIS
trict of Columbia, which is now in the
hands of the district commissioners, is
an exceptionally interesting public doc
ument
The superintendent says that congress
has provided literally for the erection,
extension and improvement of school
buildings during the past few years
and that most of the schools are taught
on full time. Nevertheless. tits 9 fact
that a number of schools above the
second grade have been restricted to
halliday time because of the fact that
there is not sufficient room in the school
buildings to accommodate all of the
pupils. He says that there are over
forty thousand children attending
these schools, while there is only room
to accommodate about thirty-one thou
sand of them, so that in order that all
may attend one-third are given only
halliday time That is to say that
pupils of the third grade can occupy a
room from nine o'clock until twelve,
while pupils of the fourth or fifth grade
may occupy the same room from one
o'clock until four in the afternoon. It
is desirable, indeed necessary, that
there should be an additional eight
visions Of the city, while number of
schOolhOuses are needed in the growing
suburbs.
One thing that stands out most prom
inent in the report of the superintend-
ent is the fact that so many non-resi
dents of the District of Columbia claim
and are accorded school privileges for
their children. There are over four
81, -
the senate and fully six hundred en-
ployes Of the capitol and its adiuncts,
who pay no taxes whatever in the Dis
trict Of Colum bia, yet demand the priv
ilege of sending their children to the
public schools. It is impossible for the
school authorities to distinguish be-
tween the real and temporary citizens
of the national capital, as we have no
polling precincts, no voters, nor other
means of ascertaining bona fide resi-
dents Therefore it happens that any
family residing in the city, whether
temporarily or permanently, is assumed
to have the right to send their children
for instruction in the various grades Of
our public schools
Quite number of the children grow
to young manhood and young woman
structors and are fitted for admission
to the high school The superintendent
calls attention to the fact that the pres
ent high school building is not large
enough to accommodate the constantly
increasing number of pupils advanced
to that grade, and he recommends the
establishment of other coordinate high
schools as very desirable adjuncts to
%Io 6r nj
The plant for coordinate high schools
will be found to be exceedingly expen-
sive. and it is not at all likely that the
present congress, either senate or house,
will be inclined to deal literally with
any matters whatever, not even for the
educational advancement of the rising
generation
There is a spirit Of economy in the
air of the national capital; but it is a
cheese-paring spirit. sort of save-at-
Observation-Disclosures the bung-hole
economy. Therefore it is not like
ly that the recommendations for the es-
tablishment Of coordinate high schools
will be favorably acted upon by con-
gress. 1t is shown by this same report
that congress has heretofore insisted
upon limitations in the salaries of
teachers, SO as to make 1t
utterly impossible for the superintend-
ent to employ the number of experts re-
quired for a well-equipped high school.
This may seem strange as a corollary
of the fact that the children of our
statesmen are being educated in these
schools.
It will be interesting, especially to
my younger readers, to know the cur
riculm adopted by the high schools OF