New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-09-08
WHAT THE LOSS MEANS.

But leaving that phase OF the question aside,
and dealing only with the actual money loss OF
s. 100000 in three years. what does such loss
really mean? What could New York do with
81 100000 a year that has been regularly squan-
dered since Nj Ahearn was elected TO office?
At the beginning Of next week the public
schools Of the city viii reopen their doors. An
army OF 100000 children will present them
selves for enrolment as pupils Last year with
an attendance Of 6S0,tfAl. GOOD children
had TO be satisfied with receiving instruction
for only two-thirds Of the standard school day
Of i've hours because Of the OvercroWoing IN
Ire poorer and more populous districts inns
part time system was adopted as the lesser
of two evils the greater being the necessity OF
refusing admission to children Of school age.
or The creation Of classes of great size. The in
Justice OF this part time" system. though IL
Is admitted to he the lesser evil. is clearly In
dlcated in the following passage found In the
annual report Of the superintendent OF schools
made TO the Board OF Education last year:
About II per cent of the children in the pub
lie schools are taught upon the part time plan
These children in Manhattan The Bronx and
Richmond are for the most part children Of the
first and second years. In Brooklyn and Queens.
however the children are in many schools, on
part time up 10 the fifth or sixth year This is
a great wrong To these children. but II must he
continued until many more school buildings are
opened. The most alarming feature Of the situ-
alton is that the children on part time are those
Of foreign born parents, the majority or whom
cannot speak our language and know little OF
our institutions and laws. The burden laid upon
the public schools Of teaching these children
English as a foreign language and of training
them into American citizenship is under the best
OF conditions exceedingly heavy To accom-
plish this task when children are with their
teachers only three and q half hours out Of the
twenty-four is almost an fnpossibiiity-
Here. then. is an urgent public need that could
he filed by the application of the S1Oe00O0
wasted every year under the present system OF
administering the Office of the Borough Pres
iGent OF Manhattan
It costs about $4,000 to erect the largest
type Of school building used in the crowded
districts Of the city. The cost Of sites varies
from 100000 in Manhattan to $4,000 in the
popuious districts Of Brooklyn, and much less
in the Borough Of Queens. Averaging the cost Of
sites a. 100000 each. the largest kind Of school
building in tse, capable of accommodating
thirtv-eight hundred children, would cost 500
600 complete Seventeen of these schools
would provide for the total number Of children
receiving part time instruction last year But
that is not necessary. for they were taught for
<no-thirds OF the school day. so that six new
buildings Of the type mentioned would be enough
20 do away with the Overcrowding that made
the part time system necessary last year. The
addition to the seating capacity through new
schools opened since the close Of last term will.
II is estimated about provide for the expected
increase IN attendance this year over last The
cost of six new school buildings like the one de-
e5 zs-o-,lS about 81 5se0fao