New-York tribune., 1920-02-04
CITY WitllhOlds
$4,000 Needed TO
Educate Aliens
$50, 900 Appropriated Only
One-ffth of That Spent by
Buffalo: 6 English Glasses
Have Been Established

Mrs. Florentino clutchcd her pencil
IN determined fingers, bent heavily over
:. sheet of school paper. and laboriously
wrote out the words: II have an apple" :"
Very good, Mrs. Florentino.' the
teacher said 1t was lust as any other
teacher would say: Every good, Mary
only when pupil is forty years old
ard the mother of eight. She must be
addressed by her title
"Now you take the paper home and
study it every day until the next les
son. Your little boy will explain it to
you il You forget what it means"
The pupils face broke into proud
smiles. She threw her Shawl over her
head and, gathering up her books, was
Just IN time TO join the line OF eight
year olds, when school was over at
Public School loo Yesterday afternoon
Mrs. Florentino is one Of the many
foreign mothers who are being taught
English under the New York State De
partment of Education, in classes or
ganzed IN the public schools. Through
these classes women who we're used
20 listen helplessly while their Chill
dren chartered in English about their
school adventures are able to .enter
into the family conversation and to be-
come acquainted with their children's
affairs. The great tragedy of the for
elgn mother, that Ter children grow
away from her. seems to have found a
solution in this simple cXpedicnt of
teaching the mother English
1T is an eXpedient which seems very
obvious to the officials of the State De
partment of Education and TO the por-
sons actually engaged in the work. but
to the members Of the Board of Esti-
mate and Apportionment it has yet 10
be proved.
An appropriation Of $50 900 for teach
ers OF English to "homc classes" is
now pending before the City Fathers.
but has not been favorably reported
Pressure is being brought upon the
board by the League of " omen Voters.
who are anxious that all women who
will be voters shall be educated in the
language and various other organlza-
tions of public-s spirited people.
The city has appropriated $50, 900 for
the work, which is only onc-ffth of the
amount appropriated by the City Of
Buffalo.
The classes for mothers were first
started in the women's own homes.
Mrs. tlorentino is a member of the
ilrst class, which began in the home OF
her sister, where there was q Young
baby who could not be left alone. The
class prospered until there were ten
members, when it outgrew the hospi-
tality Of the Florentino fiat and the
move to the public school was sug-
gested.
II thought AT first they would be
embarrassed to come to the same school
with little chlldren-perhaps their own
sons and daughters" said Mrs L. J.
Collins, the teacher, "but it seemed to
appeal to their sese of humor and
they enjoy it, think. too. they be-
lleve they learn more when they go to
the real school You know, these for
elgners have the most profound re-
spect for the school and they believe
they will grow up to be as smart as
their children ii they so to the same
school"
There are present SIX such schools
IN the city, and the appropriation asked
is required if the number is to be in
creased