Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-27
ABOL|SHTHE AGEL|M|T
Citizens Want Night School
Privileges Unrestricted.
QUESTION DEBATED
PROPOSITION TO KEEP YOUNG
CHILDREN OUT OF SCHOOL.
Report Made by Committee Appointed
to Investigate Charges-Teach-
ers Complimented.

The public schools received good deal OF
attention at the meeting of the North Capt.
tol and lexington Citizens Association last
evening. The committees authorized to in
qure into the complaints that children of
lower grades have not been allowed tn
leave school rooms in the lexington build
ing as frequently as necessary, and that
they have been punished by being detained
after school hours when they did leave,
made report, and the Instability Of in
creasing the age at which children can be
admitted to the first grade was discussed.
A resolution was adopted favoring the ad-
mission of pupils To the night schools re-
gardless of their age. the District appropri-
alton bill as it passed the House of Repre-
sentative having a provision that no one
over twenty-one years of age shall attend
such schools.
Mr.. H. +. Blau of the committee on
streets reported that work would soon begin
for the completion of the Lincoln avenue
sewer so to remove the obstruction to
travel over that thoroughfare.
DR.. +. ID. Thompson chairman of the
committee on public health, reported con-
corning the complaints that children are
not permitted to leave certain school rooms
in the lexington building frequently as
necessary. He said that while data had
been produced to show that the percentage
of children leaving the school rooms in the
lexington building was greater than In
some other sections of the city, the practice
of Furnishing children by OBTAINING them af-
ter school hours for having been obliged
to leave the school rooms not uniVer-
sal. AS means for dealing with the prob
lem that faced the teachers in this matter
the committee suggested that oral inStruC-
ton be given the scholars by the teachers
in the first, second and third grades. The
cause of complaints, Dr. Thompson stated,
had been removed and the committee
Guided its report with high compliment
to the teachers of the lexington building
for their good work in the conduct of their
schools generally.
There was a general discussion on the
advisabilty of increasing the minimum age
at which children are admitted to the first
grade.
Mr. Edward Foulke thought that the par
ents of children should be allowed to judge
as to the ACCESSIBILITY of sending them to
school before they are six years of age.
School Age of Children.
Mr.. Selden NJ. Ely explained that it is
now customary to allow no children to en-
ter the schools unless they are six years of
of age by or before Christmas of the school
year for which they received in the
first grade. He did not believe harm was
done to the average child by having it be-
gin its studies at that early age. He spoke
of halliday schools are extremely unsatis-
factory. but said that by means of these
halliday schools it is possible to provide
LOT All ScllOidTS dpplllilS dUtillSSlpil
This explanation was called forth by the
statement that if the pupils We're not adj
mitted to the schools at so early an age
there would be an abundance of room for
all children in the schools.
DR.. Thompson said 1t was not the age
at which a child was started to school, but
the ultimate result Of Its education that
was of importance. He said the tendency
has been to overwork young children to
their injury physically. He said that sew
eral leading colleges are seriously consider
ing a proposition to increase the age of
students at admission. In medical colleges
now no one is allowed to graduate until he
is twenty-one years of age. Children cam
not properly comprehend what they learn
by rote at too early an age III children
were not so crowded in their extreme youth
he thought there would be less need for
Delsarte and other exercises later on in
their school life
Mr.. A. r. Server thought the best result
in education would be secured by getting a
strong body. In cases in which children do
not have rugged health, he thought, they
should not be given the strain of hard study
until nearly twelve years of age. He was
inclined to think that most children would
be benefited by being kept out of school un-
til they are older than the present minimum
age. What is needed for boys and girls. he
said, is sound mind and a sound body.
Mr.. Ely spoke of the great care that is
taken of the health of the children in the
schools. He said the average child finds in
the schools better conditions for health
man IN their own nOmCS. lney are given
certain exercises and the rooms are proper.
ly ventilated. Some years ago, he remem-
bered, it was common to see round-should-
cred boys and girls in the schools. Now il
is extremely rare to see such defects. The
boys and girls are taught how to carry
their bodies In the eighth grade, he said,
there is not single round shouldered child.
The Night Schools.
Mr.. Ely also spoke of the great desira-
bility of having no limit of age in the
night schools. The appropriation bill as it
passed the House of Representatives pro-
vides that no one over twenty-one years of
age should be admitted to the night schools.
He thought effort should be made to
change that in the Senate. The best work
in these schools is done by those over
twenty-one years of age. If man or
woman had desire to improve his or her
education they should be assisted in doing
1t. Many foreigners over twenty-one years
of age take advantage of the night schools
to improve their education and it is an adj
vantage to the country to allow them TO
do it.
Mr.. Server favored the extension of the
night schools. and that the age limit be
eliminated Ninety-five per cent of all
children leave school when in below the
sixth grade, and that fact alone shows the
need for night schools for them when they
find the inconvenience of their deficiencies
later in life. He thought most of people do |
not realize their educational deficiencies I'M
til past twenty-one years of age.
Mr.. James A. Conner also spoke in favor
of night schools for every one without re-
gard to age limit, and told of many in
stances under his own observation of people
of all ages who now attend these schools
The school committee was instructed to
secure an amendment to the District bill in
the Senate that night schools may re- |
main open to pupils of all ages as at pres
ent.