Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-04-02
public Schools
lilly Ventilated
CORRESPONDENT MAKES TIMELY
CRITICISM OF SYSTEM.
teachers KNOW BETTER
Gospel of Fresh, Pure Air Should BE
Practiced A Well As
Preached.
Editor Tulsa World.

Editor Tulsa World.
wonder II II win be counted q
misdemeanor for a layman to offer
somo suggestions oased on observa-
ton of the conditions Of our public
schools?
No ono can travel from ono town
10 another as l do and not be I'M
pressed with the splendid character
OF our public school buildings, No old
state equals us in this respect They
arc commodious and modern. Many
OF them have the most modern hy-
glenic appliances All OF them are well
lighted and slightly in appearance. An
other commendable feature Is the
teaching Of hygiene and laws Of
health which Is made compulsory
Not many Of the old states are so ad-
vanced as we I'm this regard.
The evil effects of tobacco, alcohol
and drugs is freely taught and the
common laws Of health such as per-
tain to food air and clothing are fully
explained
These things being true there Is
one condition surprises me, and that
IS the almost universal disregard Of
the laws Of fresh air in our school
rooms. Last Friday I was in a room
sixteen by twenty feet in size taught
by college eradicate where twenty
eight were I'm the room with chalk
dust filling the air yet not a chance
for the entrance OF fresh air during
the fifty minutes Of the period the
flushed faces told Of the poisoned air.
This morning Monday, I was In a
high school room whore the desks
were covered with dust Of Saturdays
sweeping and each pupil busted his
own desk; the girls with their hand
Serchlefs, the boys with their coat
sleeves and during the hour not a
window was opened to let the dust
out or fresh air Is.
In another room forty pupils had
been for nearly two hours in room
without a sign of an opening for
ventilation, and the air fairly stunk
with impurities. In another l visited
Trey had a successful system Of
Eorced ventilation, but the openings
had all been closed by the teachers
because 1t was easier to keep the
room warm with them closed.
was in q two-roomed school house
with nearly a hundred people in one
of the rooms and found all the win
dows nailed except one and the teach
er told me he had never found 1t
necessary to open The window
though there were about fifty pupils
in attendance.
T.. n1 hni1linfr tho
only means OF ventilation was by
opening the outside door and l found
that was never done because Of fear
the pupils would catch cold.
. I have listened TO a recitation on
the necessity Of ventilation in A room
filled with pupils and not an opening
of any kind for fresh mir.
There have been exceptions to these
deplorable conditions, but only few
and where found the alertness Of the
pupils was the compensation given
the teacher for thoughtfullness In
these days OF the white plague and
tho heroic battle against It why are
our schools run as breeding places
for II? There Is not a teacher OF
principal who does not know how tt
furnish fresh air to a school room and
the necessity Of It. Not a county sup
erintondont but what Is aware Of the
negligence OF teachers In this regard
and not a school board but could stoT
the criminal carelessness II they
would and this is written with th'
one hope that these who can viii
protect the children who cannot pro
tect themselves. c. X. ROBINSON