Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-22
POUR INTO SCHOOLS
Enrolment Has Increased
1898 Since Monday.
TOTAL Is NOW 46,968
First Grades of Buildings in the
Southeast Are Crowded.
NEW PLAN OF HOME STUDY
Children to Be Assigned Work That
Will Throw Them More on
Their Own Resources.
NEW PLAN OF HOME STUDY

Though the District schools have been
open four days, students still are pouring
into both the graded and high schools.
Between Monday and yesterday after
noon the entire school enrolment showed
an increase of 339s. making the total en-
rollment 46,96S, Tomorrow is expected
to show another big increase.
The number of small children entering
school for the first time has been especial
ly great in the southeast section of the
city. and the first grades of the Bu-
chanan. Brent and other schools in that
vicinity have become so crowded that
new first grade will be opened in the
Cranch School, 18th and G streets south
east In the Petworth School the first,
third and fifth grades are crowded and it
is quite probable that additional rooms
may have to be found for each of these
grades.
Officials i'm the schools are going to try
this year to have more studying done at
bone by the pupils of the graded schools
than has been done previously. The rea-
son of this is that heretofore the pupils
in the graded schools have been left
wholly in the care of their teachers
Their studies have been allotted to them
in an exact manner and they nave been
told everything they should do. When
the child enters the High School ne is
thrown wholly on his own resources. He
has different teachers for each subject,
he determines to a large extent what
studies he shall pursue. and how much
time he shall give to each individual
study.
This in some cases has proved disas
trous. Under the plan now employed in
the graded schools, the children are as
signed work to study at home, beginning
will in a large degree teach them self
control. make them think more for them
selves, and will also make them self-con-
1dent.
Purpose Of New Plan.
In order that the children may not be
required to study too much by over
enthusiastic teachers. a plan of study has
been outlined by the school board. This
plan states that in the third grade the
children shall be given home work, but
that the work assigned shall not be more
than the average third grade pupil can
do in fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes
is added for each year thereafter until
the child reaches the eighth grade, when
he will be supposed to be studying one
and a half hours at home each evening.
When he enters the high school he
is required to study three hours per night,
and he is expected to do better work be-
cause of the earlier training in home
study.
Much care has been taken by the school
board of this city, as we'll as have the
boards of other cities In all parts of the
United States. in providing desks and
chairs.for the students which will be
hygienic. Many of the chairs which have
been used in schools have been blamed
as the cause of round shoulders and hol-
low chests. Many new kinds of chairs
have been experimental with in the Dis
trict schools.
In the new Thompson School, 18th and
L streets northwest, new style chair
has been installed in two Of the rooms
which 1t is hoped by the authorities will
prove to be the long-hoped-for correct
chair, capable of being adjusted to the
child who uses it. 1t is a well known
fact among the school officials that the
best work can be gotten from the child If
it is comfortably seated. To the end of
having all chairs correctly adjusted to
the users, the teachers have been urged
to be constantly vigilant.