The morning times., 1895-09-22
NO ROOM FOR Scholars.
Several Thousand Children With
out Educational Chances. q
THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST
Compulsory Education Law Passed In
1852 Has Never Been Enforced Be-
cause There Was No Provision for
Truant Officer-Comm m iss sioner
Ross Expla nation.

When the public schools Of Washington
open tomorrow morning for a nine months
session several thousand ch ildrcn who
should be In school will be at home or on
the street for. lack of accommodations. r
Hundreds in tue northeast and probably
few in the southeast quarter of the city
will be obliged TO get along with halliday
| schools. Tn ose who thus do not get the
civilizing Influence OF education are, as
a rule. especially the children whose op
portunities and help at home are poorest.
! They spend their time on the streets and
grow up to form the dangerous classes"
The total number of children enrolled
In the schools last year was a little more
than $4,000, and of these large number
were unable to find places. AT one time,
| II the Pierce School. fifty pupils were shut
out for lack OF room. The number thus
debarred would have been much larger
| If all those enrolled had attended.
q THOSE OF SCHOOL AGE.
Tue total number of school age, even in
1890, was about 10000. Census bulletin
No. zoe makes the total of children be-
tween five years aud seventeen, inclusive,
S,4S4.
Making full allowance for all who attend
parochial and private schools, there are
still upon this basis many thousands who
never see the inside of a schoolroom. But
tits probable that the total number between
six and eighteen years. the legal school
age, now living In the District, is far above
10000. An attempt was made last Decem-
Der to have the police take census of
children of school age, but for some unex-
planned reason they made a failure of it.
Secretary Falck has a neatly prepared
paper, certified by Police Clerk Sylvester,
showing all the children under six years,
all under fifteen, and all persons over
fifteen, but this leaves the number of
school age undetermined. The number
between six and fifteen, according to
this census, is AZ, ,049. r..
But the school age In most communities
where first-class schools are maintained
is from five 10 twenty years, and the num-
ber within these years In the District in
1890 was 74,176. This leaves a margin
above the total enrolment last year OF
$4,000, of whom at least 10000 were un-
provided for.
There is a compulsory education law for
Washington, passed in 1862. 1t imposes
fine of $50 for failure of parent or guardian
to send to school at least twelve weeks
every year all children between the ages of
eight and fourteen. If, however, the parent
can prove before a justice lack of money
or i'll health of the child, he has sufficien
defense
MR.. ROSS EXPLAINS.
Commissioner Ross was asked yesterday
why this law was not enforced. He
answered, In the first place, there was no
place TO put all the children if they could
be forced to attend and next that there was
no provision for a truant officer. He
thought it could hardly be practicable to
assign a clerk to that duty as had been
done in the case of Water Registrar.
The Commissioners, he said, are in favor
of a compulsory law, and as soon as there |
is prospect for sufficient room for all an
attempt Will be made to have a new law
passed providing for a truant officer, with |
police powers and with other changes, bring |
ing it In line with the best laws on the |
subject.
The schools overcro wded this year to
the extent that half day sessions must be
held are the Blair, Taylor and Madison
and possibly the Pierce, with likelihood |
that Principal Stewart, at the Wallach |
will find similar provision necessary for |
small number.
The new school at Mt Pleasant re-
lieves the situation there and that in the
southeast prevents over-cro wding at the |
Cranch and the Taylor. None of the |
other schools provided for by the last |
Congress will be ready for occupancy thds |
year except the Garfield, on the Hamilton |
ioad, beyond the Eastern Branch.
The issuing of tickets for new scholars |
and for transfers was about completed |
yesterday. Those receiving them will |
meet their teachers Tuesday. t
PARENTS REQUEST REFUSED.
A feature of the issue is the refusal of !
admission To the schools preferred by the |
parents. They are obliged in some in |
stances to have the children attend the |
schools nearest their homes without refer |
.nce to the parents convenience.
An instance of this was noted at the |
Peabody school where a father wished to |
have his son near his business place at the |
close of school, and that was next door
to the Peabody. |
A card was refused because he lived |
nearer the Taylor. He said good naturedly |
he had nine children and could hardly |
afford to move to the Peabody neigbbor-
hood just on account of one boy.
The teachers and pupils will meet ac- /
cording to the advertised schedule. G
At the Eastern High School examina.
tons to remove conditions will be held at
8 a. IN. tomorrow. Pupils already passed
from the eighth grade will meet at IL
d. m. Second, third and fourth year pu-
pills will report at their rooms at a. m.
Miss Ma Dean is the new teacher of math-
ematics in this school, and Mr.. Suter will
succeed Mr.. feiffer in chemistry.
Miss Martin will teach languages at the
Western this year, and will be succeeded as
teacher of French at the Central by Nine.
Marie Paret. Miss Eugene Leibschutz
and Miss Marie Seibert will be della yed two
Dr. three weeks in resuming work, the
after being caught by the over-crowded
of steamers bringing Americans
home from Europe. Is -.ir.s7e-T
Maj. Burton Ross and Mr.. l.. IT. Reich
elderfer will hold examinations beginning
about October 1 for the High School
Cadet Regiment.
The Colored High School, it is feared,
will be over-crowded this year and an
annex become necessary.
l