The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1905-04-14
gHE oEArKsRuRo rELEcRAM.
+ RIpAY APRIL a, 1905
OUR SCHOOL SITUATION

Some interesting data has been
Furnished the public by Superin-
tendent 3. d. Burdette Of the city
schools. According to the official
figures twelve hundred and four
students are enrolled this year.
There are 2s teachers for these stu
dents BY the ordinary process of
division it is ascertained that this
is an average Of Az pupils for each
teacher, which common sense tells is
q number far in excess ofwhat ought
to be allotted to each teacher. 1T is
4 certainly beyond the reach Of a mod
ern graded school, and, even in the
rural districts would be regarded as
entirely too many for one teacher
y Leading educators contend that
thirty would constitute an enormous
average and in no case is more than.
S5 conceded as a reasonable number.
In addition the superintendent
statement shows that there are 81
permanent rooms provided for. This
would mean that there must be an
average Of over b7:pupils huddled to-
gether in every room, and any man
knows that to be a situation that
viii notpermit, Of proper treatment
q justice to the pupils along any
line that benefits. With such the
health Of the student is impaired.
With that, disease is bred. With
that mental training is bound to be
neglected: With that the teacher
has herahands full to keep any sort
pf order and has no time to spare to
the mental and intellectual training
% the pupil. With that the pupil
himself has neither room nor oppor-
unity to work.
Take it that there should not be
more than an average of thirty pu-
4 pills to the room; then by ordinary
division II is found that there ought
now to he at least forty rooms or
double the present permanently pro-
vided.
Another part Of The supcrintend-
the 81 permanently provided Z
4 ent's statement SAYS in addition to
rooms are rented for the year. This
makes % rooms in use. Dividing
% into the number Of pupils enroll
ed, one finds that these rooms have
anaverage Of about 80 pupils, which
is really to the limit, and does not
conform with modern and right
ideas Of the condition Of school
room, designed to do the degree Of
work pAid for by the taxpayers Of
the district Also in this connection
should be taken into consideration
The fact that a large rent must nat
urally be paid for these additional
rooms, which would not be. il the
district owned enough buildings to-
meet the demands. Also with these.
i rooms rented the condition is a
crowded one and the demands are
but partly met.
Taking up another part of the
statement it il, found that 2 rooms
have go to 10 pupils each, 6 with
I SO to 60, n with 40 to so pupils
zach, 5 with 80 TO 10 each, and 4
with 90 to 30 each. Thus is shown.
conclusivelv the oyer-crowded con-
dition of the rooms, not excepting
and. for it is seen that even the four
that have the lowest number have a
plenty. The others are certainly
beyond doubt. much more crowded
than they should-be. and certainly
have enough pupils 10 demand lust
as many more rooms. In the case
Of the four rooms which have the
lowest number. the system Of grad
ing, necessary for graded school
prevents greater number in them
Failure to observe this regulation
would destroy the graded system
and DO away with the plan Of higher
education.
The board Of education. composed
Of men earnest in their enleayor for
the educational advantages Of The
children of Clarksburg and con-
scientiously working for a better
system and Of this time particularly
the needs of Clarksbure along this
Inc, possibly more deeply appreciate
the situation that confronts ~ Az.