Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-11-25
NEED CHANGES
IN THE SCHOOLS
State Inspector Visits South
Amboy Buildings.

Out AmDoy, Nov. 2b.@There
were present at the meeting of the
Board of Education last evening In
School No. 1 Messrs. Davis, Oliver,
Pearse and Wyckof, also Prof.
Fitch, Prof. Crane and Prof. Dawson.
Report OF the medical examiner
showed he had examined 1877 boys
and 1872 girls In School No. i, and
1925 boys and 121 girls in School
No. q; the report stated that not
withstanding there had been nine
cases of diphtheria in the school
none OF the school children had been
infected. The report also stated
cards had been Sent to the parents
of certain pupils notifying them in
cases of serious defects in their chill
dren. The report showed the in
spector had made about seventy
visits to the schools and that the
sanitary conditions, considering the
disadvantages of inadequate build
ingss We're very good. The report
was received and ordered filed.
The clerk read petition from all
the teachers of both schools request
ing to have Friday following
Thanksgiving as a holiday. This
was granted with the understanding
that the required number of school
days would be made up at the close
of the school year.
Various bills covering supplies,
etc, were ordered paid.
The finance committee reported
there would be a balance of $134 on
hand after all bills were paid.
The supervising principal report
ed in the cases Of two boys who had
been summoned to appear before
court at New Brunswick for truancy,
that one was attending school, but
the 9th 9r had not been present. that
he was openly defylng the court and
that a full report Of the matter was
to be made to the county superin-
tendent.
Charles Buckelew was given an
opportunity to speak. He stated
the class in English history did not
have sufficient books for the class, in
fact there were but four books and
thirty pupils, 1t was explained that
each pupil was furnished with a copy
of M~ontgomery's English history
and that the four copies of Chaney's
English history were merely in the
nature of reference books.
Mr.. Davis reported on their sum-
mons before the Board of Health to
report in the matter of teaching
hygiene in the schools. He said the
only criticism the Board Of Health
had to make was that this subject
should be taught in the lower grades
as well as the higher. Prof. Fitch
explained that the subject was being
taught from the kindergarten up
and that the Board Of Health should
visit the schools and ascertain the
facts before critieising the curricu-
Ilum. Prof. Crane stated he was
rather surprised when reading The
report of the Board of Health meet
ing as he thought it was generally
understood the subject of hygiene
was taught in every grade,
Mr.. Davis reported he went
through the schools Wednesday in
company with Prof. Fitch and Mr..
Oliver with State Inspector of School
Buildings McDermott, and that the
latter spoke OF a umDe of changes
that would have to be looked after
in the near future. In regard to the
stairways in School No. / the inspec-
tor stated the state board would in
sist on fi%reproof stairways as No. /
would be considered a three-story
building. All the basement rooms
would be condemned as school
rooms: also the plaster On ceilings
upstairs would have TO be removed
and metal or something similar take
it's place; the lighting in all rooms
was cross lights and the state board
will not approve of cross lights, the
windows facing the teachers must
be cut out and more windows placed
on the side and the windows must
equal 20 per cent. of the floor space:
also ventilating system would have.
to be put in that will require air
shafts and necessitate installing an
engine to run the shafts. School
No. 2 also has to be ventilated with
airshafts and the shafts that now
end In the attic viii have to be con-
tinued up to the roof; the stairway
IN the Stevens avenue side will be
condemned, should have a freproof
stairway with landing half way
down; there are also some lighting
that will have to be cut out and new
windows put in; all the woodwork
in the chemistry will have to
be painted white; the seating capac-
ity is overly crowded, do not have
the space in the rooms for the
amount of pupils there. Mr.. Oliver
stated we have oom for S23 schol-
airs, under the change we will only
have for 523 and we actually
have 683 pupils, not allowing for
the two basement rooms cut off. 1t
was claimed the ceilings are not
high enough in the basement rooms
and they are under ground. The in
spector, 1t was stated, was very
much pleased with the sanitary tot
let's in School No. 2, but there were
some defects In No. /. He also stated
the state board would not prove an
addition on School No. /.