New-York tribune., 1911-11-22
W News Of ntErGSt a.
~ to ,Wgmgn "
CRITIcISES PUBLIC SCHOOL
Woman Principal Says It Teaches
Useless Things.

There's one big trouble with the puoEo
schools OF this country" Miss Julia Rich
Inond. who as teacher principal and dis
trict superintendent has been In the ser
vice Of the New York schools thirty-nins
years, told the National League for tbs
Civic Education % Women yesterday. Ins
curricula arc made by college men who are
so high up IN the educational ranks that
they don't know the child and its needs ss
all. They know a theoretical child. but tns
real child is outside their ken. They nevsr
taught an hour IN the classroom Ia tneir
Miss Richmond said, however, that thers
was hone FOR sub-normal children In the
special classes organized ror sucn, ana ~
quoted anonymous person VINO nae ssaa
cation i'm a New York school now was %
be lame blind deaf and dumb or derec,iVo-
Miss Richmond continued;
There nro different kinds OF good educs-
tion The fact Is we are wasting huse suIns
teaching the children OF me O poor uss as'"1
sounds beautiful 10 say tnat schoois a. a.
teach the child how TO i've, nor hoN
make a living But how Is the cnild OF "
poor 10 live unless he can make living
We start wrong-start the child who mus
20 out 20 work at fourteen Just az II ~
were going 70 enter 4 university .'VNs
don't believe iu class distinctonS-ld sNrrp
them away II could-bu the class distnr-
tlons are here Social and economic condl-
ticns ara making them IN THIS country JIs
~ surely as In monarchN Nnn 80
teach the girl who nust 20 out carry 70
, support herself-perhaps help support me-
r7rents-'hfngs ~ which she can learn luSt
enough 10 make her deSpis@ ~" work 'n7
could have been taufht 10 do wei.
II was tho mothers. Miss Richmond said.
who were 10 blame II the schools went ~
default She added:
Children belong primarily 20 tho mother,
and the consensus Or opinion Or ii''NIkrut
mothers ought 10 b" The toroe n"nlnH ~
school But the trouble Win women Nlth
/ or without the votes some Of them want
fs tho nysterirsl WaT M which th@f Az
Uroacb large problems That's the eternal
want 10 ssy right here that you don
need tho ballot 10 bring about reform In
+ tho public schools Yes 7 am giao 20
align myself with YOU iu your opposition
g. woman suffrage. | can see enough fof
4 mothers m do IN the education field. viii
out the vote 90 last them tho rest ot f'er
I lives.
4 Miss Richmond ddn't ,ndiosto vesterdaY
/ through what channel the infuenc" -
women changes the curriculum ~ the pub
/ lie schools. AZ the beginning of her TAX
she touched on private schools ana tl7
hanoful effect mothers can nave on tne'"'
adding.
q Unfortunately. the hnah'.al 'up nlHD u
considered IN private school The hes'
of such school cant say, Mrs. \, the
/ chaure vou desire ne 20 make would he
urethical" 7 know a woman VINO tred
I To run her school on those high principles
! 2ad one girl after another was withdrawn,
and fhat school IL now thing Of the past.
So MANY mothers send their girls 10 nnish-
Ing schools merely 10 be finished fot
/ brilliant marriage.
The league met IN its new red-snd-green
headquarters at No. % East 18th street.
Mrs. Gilbert Jones. the founder. says she
will soon give talk there on Tile Fsy-
chology of the Suffrage Movement.