Kansas City journal., 1898-02-03
HIGH SCHOOL HOURS
COMPLAINT MADE THAT THEY ARE
TOO SHORT.
MANY ADVOCATE A CHANGE.
PROFESSOR GREENWOOD DISCUSSES
THE PRESENT SYSTEM.
Says Experience Has Proven That 1t
Is the Most Practicnl-ProfessOr
White Comedies With His
Views-Why the Hours
Are S:3O to L.
MANY ADVOCATE A CHANGE.

schools adjourn each day at l o'clock, leav-
ing the pupils free during the remainder of
the afternoon, has been the cause OF con-
siderable adverse criticism. 1t has been
claimed that the high schools should hold
afternoon sessions and remain in session
the same hours as the ward schools.
number of prominent citizens have COM
piained that, while the city is put to an
enormous expense in maintaining the high
schools, employing large forces of teachers
and supplying the schools with all the mod
ern mechanical equipments useful in class
experiments. the schools and teachers are
idle half the day and the pupils permitted
to waste the afternoons they might put to
good advantage in the schoolroom.
The criticism of the present system OF
running the high schools has been espe-
cially strong since it has become generally
known that the Central high school and the
Manual Training high school are now
crowded with pupils. The rapid growth OF
the city in the past year has caused the
Manual Training high school, which was
built last summer for the purpose of reliev-
ing the pressure of attendance at the Cen
trail school, TO be filled up. and the latter
school now has as large an attendance as
it had last year. 1t has become u grave
what to do with the. pupils who will grad
uate from the ward schools next spring.
This pressure might be remeded it is
claimed. by running the high schools until
4 o'clock each day.
Under the present system the high school
recitations begin at $50 in the morning
sion. The ward school pupils begin study
at o'clock. From 1890 to 1915 there is an
| intermission for recess. At u o'clock the
schools adjourn for the noon hour unit!
1:15. An afternoon recess is from 2:4o until
3 o'clock and the schools close at O'Clock.
The primary grade is dismissed at o'clock
in order to not overtaX the strength OF the
little folks just starting to school.
Superintendent Greenwood. when asked
about the matter of afternoon classes in
the high schools. said it had frequently
been discussed by the board. but that it
had finally been decided the present sys-
TEN was the better.
without intermissions is only three-quarters
of an hour shorter than the combined mum,
5p Of hSprS at the there
six recitation periods at each high school:
1t is conceded by the best educators and
high school men of the country that SIX
crowded onto a teacher with proitable re-
suits. Several years ago L advocated two
sessions at the high school; one In the Tore
noon and the other in the afternoon.
found after making an exhaustive eXaml-
nation that two-thirds of the high schools
in the large cities were running with on, one
while the other third had two equal ses.
Sions similar to those of the ward schools.
DO you think it would be profitable to
change the present system now?
There is considerable argument on that
subject. but l think that there can be lit
tie Improvement over the present system.
Take the Central high school. for instance.
There are nearly 1,S00 pupils there: If we
had afternoon sessions each pupil would
have to go home for his lunch. or else bring
it to school or buy it downtown, A large
per cent of the pupils attending the school
live too far from the school to walk home
If they eat their dinners at the school build
ing, they are without restraint for an hour.
There is no yard at the high school. They
the streets. Any thoughtful person knows
that in a mixed school of that many hun
dred pupils there are serious objections to
that condition of affairs"
But what about the teachers who are
drawing pay for full days work."
The high school teachers work longer
hours than the ward school teachers" was
the answer. ''The classes will easily av-
erage thirty members. Each teacher hav-
ing six recitations on certain subject
consequently deals. with $50 pupils during
the day. That makes $50 papers to grade
after school hours. Besides. the high
school teachers must necessarily go care
the day before they call the classes to re-
cite. Under the present system. however,
the pupils are under the charge of their
teachers from $3.50 until l o'clock and have
little time to waste
Principal E. C. White. of the Central
high school, said last night he was strong
ly in favor of maintaining the present sys-
TEN of conducting the high schools.
1--WE tried one time to allow the pupils
forty minutes at noon for lunch. but 1t
was a serious blunder." he said. 1.-The
moral tone of the school IS bound to suffer
if there are any periods when the teachers
are not in charge of the pupils. No one
can deny it. The young people are thrown
together and naturally form acquaintances
If they have an idle hour or two each
day when they are without restraint some
will innocently blunder."