The New York herald., 1920-01-25
SCHOOL CONDITIONS
BAD, SAYS MR.. NUDD
Overcoming and Poor Sani-
tation Growing Worse,
He Declares.
&REPAIR FUND TOO SMALL
Parents Forced to Send Children to
Private Institutions, Is
Charge.
-

Conditions in the public schools OF New
York are so unsatisfactory that parents
,cannot be blamed for sending their chill
sdren TO private schools, if they can pos
sibly afford it. according 10 a statement
ISSUED by Howard W. Nudd. director of
She Public Education Association of the
City of New York. Mr. Nudd charges that
the money appropriated for keeping the
public school buildings in repair and pro-
yiding for the normal increase in registra-
lion is Inadequate, and that the undesirable
conditions OF Sanitation in the schools are
daily becoming worse
"A large number OF the public school
buildings in New York city are unsafe and
linsanitary," the statement reads. MANY
are totally unfit for the rearing of chill
dren. The rooms are dark and badly VEN
tilated. The walls are grimy and crum-
bling. The toilets are filthy. The roofs
are leaky. The heating apparatus is more
or less continually out of repair
Mr.. Nudd declares that these conditions
are not of sudden occurrence. but the re-
suit of years of neglect, the outcome of
false principles of economy. Mr.. Nudd
quotes the estimate of the building depart
ment Of the Board of Education that
IS 10000 is needed to make conditions even
REASONABLY tolerable, and declares that the
a''paltry s2.o0o.OoO appropriated for the
emergency will not touch the fundamental
sdifficulties,"
The statement further sets forth that
there are nearly half million children In
~ gol,r -l1sa in Z0d
classes--classes having moro than forty
children. Half of these, according to the
statement are in classes having more
than forty-five children; fifty thousand in
CLASSES of fifty or over, and at least five
Thousand in classes of more than fifty
five.
Mr.. Nudd deciales that no private school
could exist under such conditions of over
crowding, even if the elements of SANTA
ton and safety were all that could be
asked. He also says that nearly a quarter
OF a million children in the elementary
schools. exclusive of the children in the
first grade, are on part time or on forms
of double session that are worse than
part time. and that therefore these chill
dren arc not receiving a full days bona
fide schooling
Even If the children receiving less than
n full days schooling were on full time.
Mr.. Nudd declares that II would take
nearly all OF the $l0,Vn,VO recently ap-
propriated by the Board OF Estimate and
tApportionment to keep UP with the normal
increase in the register alone.
''This is sad state of affsirs!" reads
the statement Despite Mayor Hylan's
campaign promises TO the contrary, there
is every reason to expect that the conges-
1ion in the schools will be worse when he
leaves office than when he entered it,
ITO provide for the elimination OF the
quarter of million OF part time and
double session at present in the public
schools on the basis of a reserved seat for
every child. which is tho hobby of the
present administration il would require.
in addition TO all that has been thus far
appropriated, at least $40 .000!''
Class work and administration In prac-
tcally every school in the city are being
!demoralized by the lack of regular teach.
scrs and substitute teachers, according TO
Mr.. Nudd. who adds that only adequate
Spsy can remedy this. Mr.. Nudd also crti-
fcises the facilities for work and play In the
public schools, declaring them TO be en-
tirely inadequate and not of lasting value
for the development of the children.