The Washington times., 1914-03-08
LEAGUE WORKS FOR
. IMPROVED SCHOOLS
Parents Ask Greater Ratio of
Teachers and Better Sani-
/ tary Conditions.
Continued from First Page.)


through Mrs. Ransome and Miss Ellen
A. Vinton, of that league. that Con-
gressman Rogers last week introduced
in the house bill providing for paper
towels for school pupils. This action
was taken, Mrs. Ransome stated, only
after the Board of Education declared
itself powerless to remedy the present
practice of providing a single roller
towel for the 500 or more pupils in each
of the third division schoo S.
An epidemic of measles, which has
caused scores of pupils to lose from one
to three weeks at school, has swept
through schools in that division, Mrs.
Ransome declares, because adequate
medical supervision is not provided.
AT Western High School so many
pupils were stricken. il was stated, tnat
the school has been on the verge OF
closing, and at Mckinley Manual Tram
ing School a pupil had returned, and re-
manned in school. Mrs. Ransome salo.
whose quarantine period was not YET
Not only the eighth grade teachers,
but practically all the grade teachers
in this DIVISION said Mrs. Ransone;
are too >heavlIy burdened 10 90 LuLi
justice to their pupils. This arises from
overcrowding. We have collected actual
figures and we find that in majority
of rooms, the number of pupiis eNceeas
forty, the maximum which teachers ssI
rs the number WeSh WHICH theS |"ii wv
effective work.
Calls 1t Imposition.
In many classes the number OF
plIpils range from 45 to so. In one grace
NV daughter attended there were nity-
two pupils, so took her out, Tor no
teacher should be shouldered with such
a burden. 1t is an imposition upon her,
and upon the child, as well.
The recent inventory of school equip
ment, Mrs Ransome asserted, had
heavy toll of victims not yet recoVereo
from the effects of the oyerwork IN tne
third division.
but to me the most striking state
ment about that imposition was made
by a teacher who pointed out that II
erdec with the date of semi-annuai
PROMOTIONS, and the time that shoulo
have been given to pupils about TO De
passed to higher grades that !eacner
considered practically wasted Hitherto.
this teacher told me January had been
considered the banner month for ac-
cUmplishment of school work. rms
year, she said, the entire month hao
been practically lost because teachers
had most of their time taken up with
max ng out complicated lists. I
The inventory is over. But the |
heavier work the new system 1t began |
is not, and eighth grade teachers now
have the task of making requtsitions
added to their already doubly heavy |
1as:- OF teaching and supervising build
tngs."
0yercrowding Of schools. Mrs. Ran
some considers one of the most serious
handicaps to their effectiveness Be
sides placing upon the teacher the heavy |
task of correcting more papers and
handling more pupils than she can weil
manage she thinks children are robbed 1
of that individual attention that is their |
right.
Tabulates the Students.
The Parents League has prepared a |
brief to be presented to the Board OF
Education, tabulating the numbers OF
pupils in each of the classes in the en- !
tire division. 1t is realized that not
much can be done until Congress ap- J
propriates money for new schools, but |
In the meantime some slight relief is
hoped for if added classes can be pro- |
Vided. |
Tne league also is at work on a plan |
fo- visiting nurses for the Washington
schools.
AT present IRRESPONSIBLE parents may |
send children TO school. not knowing. or
not caring much. that they have con-
taeious diseases" Mrs. Ransome con- |
tinUed. las in the case at Mckinley. |
the pupil may return before the quar- |
aI.tine period has been concluded.
The pressure upon the teacher now is |
too great to insure her personal In |
spection of all such cases, and 1t may |
De some Time before Sle nOliSeS tlidl d |
child is i'll. Visiting nurses. such as
schools of other cities provide, would |
remedy that condition and take hold Of |
such epiGemics as we have had this |
winter in their incipiency. |
of course. roller towels would be |
the best way to insure the spread of
such diseases. So far as j can learn, |
but one sch ooI in the city. that the VIII |
son Normal School. does not use roller |
tov els"
Used as Gymnasium.
A start already has begun in opening !
the schools for social service work. |
Parents of the Third division decided |