New-York tribune., 1907-09-10
SOME SCHOOLS EMPTY.
EAST SIDE HIS HOLIDAY,
First Day Registration Effected
bY FestiraI.

The public schools Of the city opened yest.-.
dav but attendance the East Side was cur
down % per cent and more by the Jewish New
Year holiday. Schools all over the city were
affected but In the Sd and 9Th district east
of the Bowery and south of 14th street ther.
were no children going reluctantly to the
first session; instead all was gayety and the
streets we're thronged with neatly dressed
youngsters. In school in Hester street
where the attendance should be four thousand
twelve pupils entered. and many of the teachers
merely went through the form of opening and
closing the rooms.
It was dismal for the teachers and disconcert-
ing to the school authorities. who would like to
he able to make complete first days record
I'm some of the schools Hebrew children regis
tered in tine morning but remained only long
enough to do that 1t estimated by George
s Davis associate city superintendent, that
over one hundred thousand Hebrew children did
not report.
Mr. Davis said that all the districts under his
charge were affected in the beginning By tbs
Hebrew holidays. and then throughout the year
by the migrations to Brooklyn and Queens The
Williamsburg Bridge. he said. was the cause o.
an exodus Of many families, which Of course
relieved the congestion on the East Side. but at
the same time congested the schools in Brooklyn
a,d Queens There was also a drain Bronx-
rd
If is expected that statistics Of attendance will
not he gathered for comparison until next Tues
day.
In two Of the East Side districts the attend
arcs was fair. on the outskirts Of the 7th
where there is a large German population, and
in the second. where Italians are numerically
strong MI Davis said however, that the school
population would be we'll kept UP in the east
of the Bovery districts through immigration.
He had noted. he said. that as soon a foreign
family had found dwelling place the children
were promptly sent 70 school They could not
speak English. but to school they were sent
Frequently the teachers were informed by
pupr that some relative was expected from
abroad and that new pupils might be expected
At the Health Department there were crowds
OF children accompanied by their fathers or
mothers TO get certificates emitting them 10 go
10 school To attend kindergarten the pupil
must be four FEARS old: 10 attend the primary,
six often birth certificates have not been fled.
and then parents are compelled to get them
Then there is trouble for the doctor. As more
than two years will have elapsed since the
birth of the child the Health Department can
not prosecute the physician, but II is believed
that since the certificate requirement doctors
have been more careful to comply with the law.
The registration last year was $4,000 with
an average attendance of sol 900 That was the
last report. in June In 1903 the registration
was $4,000. with average attendance %
479OOO- OF the teachers on the last eligible LIST
OF 200 all have found employment new list
of 700 Is now being drawn upon There IS n"
lack of teachers. and II was said at the board
rooms that the young women were we'll above
the average In ability and personality The total
number Of teachers who reported for duty yes
terday 1900. and there are 1000 suosti-
tutes ready for service. DR.. Maxwell has called
a meeting OF all the supervising principals IN
the city for this afternoon in the rooms OF the
Board OF Education He VIII address them on
the work in the schools for the present term.