Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-02
SOLUTION OF PROBLEM
East Washington Citizens Dis
cuss School Attendance.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE
Recommend Business Course at East.
ern High School.
COMPULSORY EDUCATION, ALSO
Cross-Town Railway Comes in for
Share of Attention-Streeta and
Alley Improvements.

A solution of the problem of high school
| attendance effecting the Eastern and the
| Business High Schools was proposed by
| the committee on schools and libraries,
| William Henry White, chairman, of the
! East Washington Citizens Association and
unanimously recommended by the associa-
| ton at meeting held last evening at Don
| nelly's Hail. 314 Pennsylvania avenue
| southeast. 1t was stated that for some
| time both the school authorities and the
| people of the eastern section of the city
| have noticed with regret that the attend
| ance at the Eastern is not as large as it
| should be. because many pupils living in
| that vicinity prefer to go to the Business,
| Technical or Central High Schools At the
same time the Business school authorities
say their new building at 9th street and
| Rhode Island avenue will very soon be too
small to accommodate those who desire
Ito attend there. To establish a business
course of study at the Eastern will go a
| long way toward solving both of these
| questions in the opinion of the citizens
| association.
| 1T has been ascertained from a trust
worthy source" says the committee re-
| port, that there are in attendance at the
| Central High School ninety-three pupils
| accredited to East Washington-that part
! of Washington east of North and South
| Capitol streets. OF that number twenty
| six are accredited to the territory south of
| . street north; only three reside in the
| southeast quarter of the city, and one of
| that number is located near South Capitol
street. about twelve squares south of the
| Capitol. 1t, therefore appears that the
| lack of cross town street railway facilities
| reasonably explains why many pupils living
| in East Washington attend the Central in
| stead of the Eastern High School
Total of 4O7 for Two Schools.
Two hundred and sixty pupils residing in
J;.,l,
| School and lat attend the Mckinley Manual
| Training School-a total of 407 for the two
| schools. Since these pupils elect to attend
! schools of other than the class to which the
| Eastern High School belongs it is believed
| that they cannot be retained at the Eastern
| High School unless some provision is made
| for the course of instruction there for which
| they go to the northwestern part of the
| city. The large number of pupils thus
drawn from East Washington emphasizes
| the necessity for the immediate establish
ment of a business course in the Eastern
High School. AS the present enrolment of
| the Eastern High School is approximately
| three times as great the number of pu-
pills residing in East Washington attending
the Central High School 1t seems reason
able to assume that a large proportion of
the 260 East Washington pupils now attend
ing the Business High School would gladly
avail themselves of an opportunity of at
tending similar school in East Washing
ton. =
THE present Eastern High School build
ing affords ample facilities as emphasized
by President Smith in his recent annual adj
dress to the East Washington Citizens As
ISOLATION for the accommodation of large
ly increased number of pupils. AS it would
require only a few additional teachers
probably not more than three or four-with
the requisite apparatus, the most expensive
item in connection with which is typewrit-
ers, it would seem that business course at
the Eastern High School is wholly feasible.
That there is urgent necessity for such
course of instruction there can be no doubt,
and we see no just grounds for failure
| to provide for it, The expense would prob
ably not exceed 5000 per annum, even IL
new teachers and all the equipment had to
be provided.
Transfers Advisable.
ut seems reasonable. however, that the
transfer of at least some of the teachers
and apparatus from the Business High
School would be practicable if that school
is relieved of considerable number of it's
pupils now attending from the eastern part
of the city. 1t is doubtful whether any part
of Washington stands in as great need of a
business high school as does section,
and certainly none has greater need for
such a school; and this need has been great
ly augmented by the recent removal OF the
Business High School from its rented quar-
tiers at LIST and streets northwest 10 its
and 9th street northwest.
1.-THE increase in attendance at the Bust
ness High School will in all probability
within another year exhaust the capacity
of the Business High School, thus necessi-
tatirg another building at an expense of
thousands of dollars.
Another important part of the report of
the school committee, which was adopted
in full had to do with the small attendance
of children in the graded schools all over
the city and recommended compulsory edu-
cation under the age of fifteen and the pro-
hibition of child labor when it would inter
fere with the operation of this measure. On
this question the report reads:
The Minor Schools
Probably one of the most serious condi
lions in connection with public instruction
in Washington that must be met is the de-
plorably small attendance in the minor
grades. The situation as it exists leads
your committee to recommend that COM
pulsory attendance offers the only possible