The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-22
SERIOUS PROBLEM FACES EDUCATORS
 OF BIRMINGHAM Fully 225 More Pupils Must Be Cared for at the High
 School
BUILDING IS ALREADY
 BADLY OVERCROWDED
ExaminafiOns. Beginning Tomorrow, Are Sure to Make Question of Ade- quafe School Room Still More Serious in the City

What measures will be taken at the Birmingham or Central High school to accommodate about 225 pupils who must be admitted at the conclusion of the semi annual examinations which start tomor- | row?
 l That is a question that is calling for the | most intense thought from Superintend- ent J. II. Phillips of the Birmingham schools. and pr. John L. Parker, presi- dent of the Board of Education
 | The Central High school was construct ed to accommodate 800 students. At this | time the building accommodates HOO stu dents, and when the 225 are promoted the building will have 1925 students within | it's walls for class work
 The matter of adequate accommodations here has been touched upon strongly by pr. Phillips in his report and the report of President Parker of the Board of Ed ucation. These two men have stressed the need for more buildings, where the | high school students may be carried. However, no action has been taken and as the time has passed the authorities are face to face with possibly the most serious condition that has been met here r educational work in many years.
 Issues Call to Teachers
 pr. Phillips yesterday issued call to all the teachers and directors for the sec ond education semester, but said In talk | ing of the forthcoming examinations that he had no idea as yet where the stu dents to be promoted would be cared for. Already the educational authorities have | rented building adjacent to the Central | High school composed of several living rooms, where large classes of the present overflow have been cared for. However, the Board of Education cannot go any l further in this line, and there seems to be only one present alternative and that | is to tear out the museum, dining room, | reading room or some other of the at | tractive features of the local educational institution which have merited and called for the warmest praise from various dis tinguished educators who have visited Birmingham and inspected the high | school. 4 | Discusses the Situation
 In discussing the situation facing the | educators of the city in the matter of greater accommodations at the high school, Dr. Phillips said last night:
 "The question of adequate facilities at the Central High school has been occu- pying our thought for some time. How ever. we have come face to face with the issue now as the examinations begin Mon day, which will result in the promotion of at least 225 pupils from the elementary | schools into the Central High school. 1 Where we will put them I do not know yet. At Epsley about 75 pupils will be promoted into the Western High school. We are not so hard pressed at Ensley as we are in Birmingham, although at both plates we have little enough room.
 "The Central High school in Birmng- ham was constructed for 800 pupils. We have HOO there now. We installed mus elms. reading rooms, dining hall and other attractive features, which we do not wish to abandon. The students have been more than ordinarily interested in those features, and to let them go now Is cer- tainly hard on all interested in the work.
 However, unless some action Is taken | looking to the relief of this critical con- | dition we will have to forego such feat ures and take a step backward ip that | respect.
 "We have during the past 15 years en- | couraged the students of the various ele mentary schools to work upward and en- ter the High school This ambition has | been worked into the very life of the stu dents. To deprive one of them of that | goal after they have striven nightly for | it is beyond us. We will assuredly make provisions for the students who are pro- noted if we have to tear up the various attractive features which are now a part of the Central High school and not now used for class purposes.
 | Progress Being Made
 Tn the educational work here the very best possible progress is being made. We have established night schools at Ensley and the Paul Hayne school which are interesting, and which provide means of mental training for a large number of young men who could not otherwise get an education. At the Paul Hayne school we have about 75 boys who come there regularly three times week. At Ensey we have 40 of the same kind.
 "A further step In the nlgnt WOrK was the establishment yesterday of class of girls at night. One was started at the | Paul Hayne school and 15 girls were en- rolled on the first call. This class is in d separate part of the building from the boys and under the strictest superintend- ency The girls attending are from va rious factories. shops laundries and other places where they work in the daytime.
 "The proper mental endowment of this class of working girls is a serious prob lem and one that we are trying to solve to their advantage and as economically as possible to Birmingham.
 q mention this to show that all the time the educational work in Brming- ham is broadeningsout and the faster this city goes forward the faster educational work goes. We have the reputation of having q fine system of education here, and it would be to the detriment of the entire city of Birmingham should the oc-