The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-12-28
EDUCATING Poles
NEW GERMAN JOB
Almost beIieyable Condi-
tons Were Found by
Them in LODI.
l(By Associated press)

LODI, Poland. Dec. 2s-By no
means the least Of the oblems which.
the Germans have to solve IN LODI
Us the school question. on their oc-
scupation Of the city last December.
the Germans found hopelessly made.
Iquate school facilities, and, a short:
age Of teachers so great that It was
out of the question to supply entire.
!ly the deficiency from Germany.
The city has "a youthful population
Of somc 80 1000, and ABILITIES for only
( q, 900 pupils. Some 20 900 OF these
attend the Polish folk OF common
schools; whore they are instructed by
men who themselves have nothing
more than a high school education.
and practically no pedagogical rain.
ing. The remaining 5000 attend pri:
vate schools, and come, Of course.
from the better classes OF the popu
lation. M ~ IS
In all the Polish folk schools. which
ara terribly oyercrowded. there are
in all but 450 sunderpaid, illy.prepars
ed teachers. Aside from the number
of children who attend the public end
private schools, there are uncourted
hundreds whose only educational op.
portunities lie In the 300 odd Jew
fish "cheders.,
In company with the educational
chief of the city, an Associated Press
correspondent recently made a tour
through LODI, specially bent on see.
ing the "chedersp and their hordes
Of pupils. There was revealed a con-
ditions of things almost belieyable.
The first school visited was typical
Of all the rest. It was in the second
story Of building overlooking q sta
Bile. and was large enough to accom-:
modate 80 children at the outside. Six.
ty.seven younsters, however, were
jammed into the little apartment, and
satin each others laps to avoid stand
ing. q I: q s. i E; !
Dirt scraps Of bread and pieces OF
vegetables remnants Of bygone
lunches by the children-coyered the
floor. Such Of the clothing as was
not ragged was monstrously dirty.
3 The teacher was a middle aged Jew,
whose wife teaches on alternate days
a class Of girls In her bed room under
conditions that, appear no more favor.
able than in the boys. school. Each
child pays go kopeks Gao cents) a
month for the instruction he receives.
consisting principally Of smattering
OF religion! I;
The school inspector had never
visited this particular "cheder" be.
fore, but from long experience he
lighted a cigarette before entering the
room to combat the sickening odor
OF the ,overcrowded place. The teach.
er, used to visits from Russian OF,
lficiais, began at once to protest that
he had no money with which to pay
tribute and showed obvious relief
when he was assured that no money
was desired. y
His expression changed to wonder,
however, when he was sternly or.
dered to reduce the size Of his class,
to eliminate all children under sew
en- years old, and Ito clean up the
floors and desks. He protested read.
| lily enough, but It was only too plain
that he did not at all understand why
such measures were necessary. rs
With all their very great disadyan.
tages the Lode schools give evidence,
through. their very overcrowding, OF
an almost pitiful desire on the part Of
both Poles and Jews for some kind
Of education. Plans for the future In
clude an extension on a large scale OF
the school. facilities to accommodate
this desire.