The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1904-02-05
"TO Be OR NOT TO Be"
The Question OF New School Building Is
Up TO the Taxpayers.

The Question OF New school Building Is
Up to the Taxpayers.
IL is but natural that people when
asked 20 vote money for public improve.
ments should inquire into the necessity
for such expenditure. 10 is only right
that they should. and as the question
of school building has forced itself
/ upon us we desire 10 call the attention
of our citizens 10 n few facts that we
believe are not generally known. But
a few years ago our building was ade-
quate 10 our every need and the pride
we iostered then has never died. But
our town has grown rapidly, the popu-
/ latiOn has greatly increased and our
schools are crowded.
a good working school gives not
more than thlrty.iive children 20 one
| teacher This enables her TO know
definitely what each child Is doing and
gives her time 10 explain difficult les.
sons 20 those who do not understand
the class work She can group her
children according to their ability and
i'm this way the slower ones are not
rushed while the others are not held
back. She can know that each child
understands each lesson and at eVaml-
nation time failures will be very few
But under present circumstances we
find seventy pupils crowded into each
of two rooms all the year with about
the same number in third every spring
term. In order 20 cover the work ~
all the whole seventy recltc at once, 90
one teacher iu some classes. while .n sew
eTal classes tbigty.iive recite at once. rs
consequence the teacher does not and
cannot know what each child is doing.
Many a child goes home 10 night dis
cOurlged. and all because the teacher
has no time 90 help him. lie thus
drifts along until examination time
when both teacher AMI pupil are sur
prised with a failure. bright pupils are
Irecitiug with slower ones. and although
fifteen or even twenty have perfect
lesson the teacher cannot leave the other
ten or fifteen who fail without driving
them from school, and hencothe whole
class are kept upon the same work for
several days, during which time the
brighter ones are gaining almost ab.
solutely nothing. BESIDES this there are
pupils in school this year who should be
IN other grades than the ones they are
i'm, but crowded conditions keep them
where they are, while IL is almost Ger.
tain that unless more room is provided
10 be held back next year for the same
reason.
IL is needless 10 say that this condi.
tion is growing worse each year, and
without more room IL will soon be nee.
essary TO divide the school into two
sections and allow each section TO come
one-half day only, thus requiring more
time TO cover the work.
But not only are children kept behind.
The heating apparatus which has
never been satisfactory is old and worn.
For warmth the children are nc the
mercy of the wind and weather, and
many times they actually suffer from
the cold while at other times they are
overheated. These sudden changes are
positively dangerous To the health of
the children. Colds and coughs are
common. while frequently forty or fifty
are out on account of sickness.
Another more serious matter that
has lately been attracting attention In
all communities is the danger from fire
aud the possibility for escape. With
only one long stairway and one exit.
both of which are directly over the
furnace from which fire would prOba
bly, originate, 10 Is doubtful IL the most
rigid discipline would make it possible
90 get puas ont without loss OF life or
40 least very serious accident.
Then, more school room viii mean:-
more individual work from teachers,
no more holding back of pupils who
are prepared 90 60 ahead, less failures
10 pass grades, better heating and ven
tilation with less sickness, better pro
lection from IRE.
The financial side OF the question
We leave until next week when We will
undertake 60 explain that fully.
l.. +. NanCamp, Moderator,
r. III. Menerey. Director,
W. g.. Wight. Treasurer,
James Wallace. Trustee,
j. a. Mcnzies. Trustee.
School Board, Dist No. /.