The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-02-13
TECHNICAL HIGH
SCHOOL SCORED
Alderman Reynolds Reports a
Disappointing Visit.
FOUND CARELESSNESS AND FILTH
With CsuncIImsn He Inspected The Building
and Declares That There Is No Wisdom
Ia the Course Pursued There.
FOUND CARELESSNESS AND FILTH

Menb bers OF the city council visited the
Technical high school last week They
observed closely and now opinionate
sharply. The committees on education,
city property and finance conducted the
Investigation.
Alderman Reynolds was particularly OBJ
servant and has summed UP his Views in
the following comments:
"It may be all right 10 spend the public
money for such plan of education as
Is followed out in that school, but can't
see IT, II may be all right for one young
man TO occupy one entire room Getting an
example noted Al one OF his visits 10 the
schooD, declaiming 10 special teacher.
but I scarcely think that IL is much OF
an Improvement over the way II used 10
be when I was boy; when on Friday
afternoons we had 10 speak before the
whole school. Then all OF US got the
benefit Of the criticism. while in the
instance 7 Just mentioned. the young man
alone pronted by the criticism, II such
was made by the teacher.
when we stop and think that the
schools OF this city today. counting sink
Ing accounts and appropriations, cost the
city nearly 100000 or about one third
whether the conditions that exist in the
Technical school should be permitted.
When we went up there the other day
the orchestra was playing in one of the
halls Now, II may be right TO teach the
youths music and II may be OF great
use TO them, vet ! hardly think that the
public funds should be put 10 such a
use.
Then. in the chemical laboratory the
lxSt
saw a bottle OF ammonia with a cork
stopper rather than a glass stopper in
81: the stopper WAS loose and the am
monia. being volatile. was losing its
strength. There was every evidence Of
carelessness in that place. and I doubt
81 IL Is advisable TO inculcste in pupils
such reckless ideas as they must acquire
there. why. such csrelessness would re-
suit In great loss 10 any chemist who
would employ a student taught under such
conditions. II has always been my
: theory that In a chemical laboratory.
chemicals, which are more or less danger
GUS, should be kept I'm such receptables
as are proper for the various substances /:
yet there everything is mixed up, and
bottles are dusty 20 n shocking degree.
"The general condition of the building
was filthy and the councilmen, he said
made mention OF II as they passed about,
WHl' ~ W ii' dtlbhi i'N'SSlAN loT more
room, II is not apparent. With some de-
gree OF judgment, however. pupils might
be arranged differently. We saw rooms
which would accommodate about 50 pupils
with nine or 10 in them Did the prin-
cipal explain that? Simply by saying that
at that time some OF them perhs ps were
elsewhere. but with no congestion appar-
ent IN any room, don't see how that
made any difference.
What would l suggest. Well. 7 know
that ! will be criticised am not afraid
of that but II is my opinion. and / know
that some of those who went Up there
with me think somewhat the same. that
81 less time was given 70 these fads I'm
education and more time 10 spelling
arithmetic and the other fundamental
principles, the results would be much bet
ter In the days when education was
not thrown at children better results were
attained. and that is why there were 80
many brilliant men, because they had 10
work hard for their scant education and
realized its meaning. Nowadays the
generation don't seem to appreciate e.
and why7 Because these fads cloud the
real principles involved"