The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-04
Letters Addressed to the Dis
trict Commissioners.
i LENGTHY CRITICISM
Alleged Inequalities OF the Educn-
tional System-The Matter of t-iny-
grOunds-A Hardship for Small
Pupils-samuel GOmpers's SuSges-
tion-The Fire Drills to Continue.

the amount Of playground allowed the
children. 1t is claimed that the rapid
| growth CT the city has entirely eliminated
the Fairgrounds and that the new school
grounds are entirely without provision Tor
| the children during the moments OF relax
! alton from study which are allowed them.
| Suitable grounds in which to run about
! and indulge in out of door games are alb
solutely necessary to the proper training
! of children, il is said, and the Commits
! sicners are petitioned to see that this
matter receives consideration in the ap-
! preparations for new buildings.
Another point which causes a great deal
! of complaint is the alleged faulty con-
| struction OF the stairways in the build
| ings It is claimed by physicians that
many children are made puny and I'M
| healthy through the stair climbing they
| have to do to reach their rooms in the
! various school buildings. The stairs at
present are mostly built of stone or ron
| and are very steep. II requires considera-
Bile effort on the part of a grown person TO
ascend them and it is said to be dangerous
| to the health Of the children who are COM
| PEELED to walk up and down at least three
| times a day.
Good Plan Discontinued.
Some years ago it was the custom to
place the smaller children On the lower
floors and allow only the older ones
| to occupy the upper floors. But the in
/ crease in the number Of pupils has
| made it impossible to set aside only the
| lower floors for the little ones. In some
| of the schools they are compelled to climb
| as many as six flights Of steps In order to
reach their study halls. A strong effort
| is being made to have this matter regu-
| lated by the Commissioners. and the new
schools in course of construction are only
| two stories in height.
The mere radical among the, reformers
favor having the structures only one story
! high and contend that the buildings
| should be erected on a plot of ground
which will leave at least one hundred feet
of clear space between the walls Of the
schccl and the fence which shuts the yard
from the public view However. 1t viii
probably be some time before this idea
| is put in practice owing to the high price
of ground suitable for school building
purposes and the meager appropriations.
Complains of Inequalities.
Some time ago a communication was re-
ceived from the headquarters Of the Ameri-
can Federation OF Labor, which had been
sent to that organization and which stated
that the children of the District and espe-
ciaily those whose parents could not afford
to give them a liberal education, were not
| receiving enough anu bHdt thS
hours allowed for study were entirely TOO
short
In defense of his statement, the corre-
spondent wrote: "of the S9f schools of all
grades in the District no less than 23i are
compulsory halliday schools These COM
pulsory halliday schools comprise more
than one-Quarter OF all who go TO school,
an aggregate OF not less than II 600 pupils.
These can go to school only three and a
/ oil tn ba
nile schools-that is. the first. second, third
and fourth grades-and they embrace chill
dren from six TO twelve years OF age.
This meager schooling Of three and a
half hours day is all a great majority OF
these children will ever receive, for more
than three-quarters of the children in this
city do not go to school at all beyond the
fifth grade. This is because they are the
children of the poor, or. at least, of those
who are compelled to work every day and
: are taken out of school to help provide for
the family. If they are given this seanty
schooling up TO the fourth or fifth, grades
that is, up TO the tenth or twelfth year
what kind of a chance have they 10 obtair
| that amount of general knowledge and spe'
, cial training TO which they are entitled
, and which will serve 10 prepare them FOL
the struggle OF life? Ought not little ones
who are handicapped In the race. by pos
ment, to be in special sense the wards O
the community in which they live and t
/ enjoy all the advantages its schools cal
: confer?
In the High schools.
"Three-fourths of the youths who at
tend the high schools are children o
the prosperous either children of the So
called independent or of parents who re-
: ceive high wages or large salaries. These
high schools are not oyercrowded. They
have room enough for all, teachers enough
for ALL and a wealth OF equipment tina
does not pertain to any other school TheA
are apparently not stinted in anything
= It seems to me that this is spending the
) most money on the least essential Eie
j mentary education is Indispensable, bu
e the high school training, like that OF ;
college. is luxury hat ought not to be
given gratuitiously to any child until al
[ have had a fair chance in the primary
V schools.
q is II too much to hope that your or
ganization will take such action yol
will deem proper and effectual toward in
I | ducing the Commissioners of the Distric
< and the school trustees 10 reverse III
e method which they seem TO have adopted
1 | and teach all the children OF Washington
O | even the humblest, how to read. write
and something of arithmetic, geograph,
. and grammar before giving to few favor
$ ed ones instructions in Greek, German AM
e trigonometry
y Mr. Gompcrs's Letter.
In his letter TO the Commissioners, in
: closing the above communication. Presi
r dent Gompers wrote: Il would suggest T.
), the Commissioners and those in authorit
Q in the District of Columbia TO so arrang
: the school facilities in the District tina
+ every child of school age may have IN
4 opportunity of attending school for
i full day and for a full term.
II is claimed by the school authorize
Il chat every child is given an equal chanc
G for education in the District Of Columbi
: and that those who cannot attend tn
r high schools and the higher grades of tn
G primary schools in the day time are give
o an opportunity to do so at hight. IN
s Business High School is open at night an
r the same course of instruction that prevail
in the regular curriculum of the da
q scholar is given.
Commissioner Ross received letter sey
IS eraI days ago in which the writer aske
n why the fire drills were being discontinue
in the various schools. This is one of th
= most important things in the daily scho'
70 life of the child. as IL teaches GOODNESS
e time of danger and a certain confidence
" the ability of the teachers to take care
d their charges
Is The Fire Drills.
Mr. Ross Immediately placed himself
: communication with the superintendent
h the schools, requesting information on til
l., subject One of the rules In the schoo