Evening star., 1919-12-29
EMERGENCY FUNDS
ASKED TO SECURE
132 NEW TEACHERS
Congressional Subcommittee
Hears Superintendent Tell
of School Needs.

A plea for emergency funds enough
10 engage 132 teachers urgently need
ca TO relieve congestion and overIoa d
III the public schools of Washington AT
once, was made TO the subcommittee
on dehciency appropriations of the
fiouse appropriations committee this
afternoon by Ernest l.. Thurston
school superintendent.
Mr. Thurston and Stephen E Kramer.
| ms assistant. prepared mass of data
ing the present situation with
wnich they expected to startle the of
,lciai audience and show it conclusive
~ that conditions due to lack of school
housing and low pay for teachers
amount to nothing less than grave in
Justice to I'll school children and a real
oahser TO their health and safety.
No Funds for New Teachers.
through misunderstanding the
superintendent of schools recently
was quoted as saying that low paw
aione prevents his securing the serv-
truth. there is no pay at ali for the
needed teachers. he said today. "One
nundred and thirty-two teachers ad-
uitionai 10 the present corps to meet
me Crisis are not to be en- gagged be-
cause We nave no pay whatever tC
give them, Mr.. Thurston declared,
Ihats why seek a special appro-
priation."
1T is true" he continued. THAT
the 10000 public school .chtidren.are
being housed. but they are not fjrop-
cry housed-they are simply in out
shifting of pupils that properly will
remedy the situation. To relieve
pressure somewhat at one point Sim
ply puts stra'n at some other point.
Cites Crowded Conditions.
Take the situation at Central High
School. Classes are now meeting in
the auditorium and in the galleries
OF the gymnasium. AS a result chill
uren do not enjoy anything like the
full advantage Of important school
equipment and they cannot receive
needed personal attention from their
instructors. The situation is as bad
or worse in many other schools.
probably everybody Interested in
school matters is aware that prac-
tically all classes in both the grades
and the high schools are crowded
Not everybody. however, is aware OF
the unhappy results of this conges-
ton. 1t means that a seriously large
percentage of the pupils fail in their
work and are not promoted because
their overworked teachers cannot give
them individual attention and coach
those who are somewhat backward in
grasping fine points and meeting
difficulties.
, school can find the cause in the fact
that the children have not received
the amount of instruction and hell
. that are due them. For this the teach
ers cannot be blamed. A high school
Instructor should not have to teach
a class larger than thirty pupils
When such class numbers forty
five or fifty the teacher is swamped
and her efforts to keep up result iI
, overwork and too frequently a break
in health. Grade classes should be nc
! larger than forty pupils. When such
| a class contains fifty or sixty pupils
the children inevitably are neglected.
! Platoon Plan VIII Help.
'The platoon system" to be oper.
duce the pressure, Mr. Thurston said
! 1t has some advantages, and prob
ably works certain economies in the
expenditure of both time and effort.
| In no sense. however. is it an ade-
ouate substitute for the need of many
, housing facilities. Parkview School
a commodious structure at Otis place
land Warder street. will be the scene
, of the first experiment in platoon
ing"
This system gives half of the pupils
time to academic study. while the
other half is devoted to practical
work and physical training under
special teachers. Thus two classes
\ can be accommodated in single
! classroom, one class occupying 1t fol
! study while the other is~out at work
Advantages of the. system to the
pupil are relaxation from the tediun
Of a days study in one room; more
practical application of lessons. and
] Specialization of the individual by con-
1 tact with a much greater number ol
| fellow pupils.