The Washington herald., 1921-12-05
SCHOOL SYSTEM
HASLACCED FOR
: OVER 30 YEARS
Capitals E due a ii on a |
: Program Neglected
; By Congress.


Continued from Page ors.
yisited only to find that overcrowd-
ing was a common condition
In 1917 when the appropriation
was found to be totally inadequate
to carry out the proposed program.
and children were clamoring for en-
trance at the door of every school,
house, II was decided to purchase
more portable schoolhouses to meet
the emergency. These makeshifts,
which were supposed to be tempor-
airy only, have for lack of an ap-
bropriation sufficient to meet the de-
mand, become a necessary evil. They
are cold in the morning and too
warm in the afternoons. There is
only one room and no foundation.
Therefore, the floors are always cold
in winter. A large stove standing
the room to an uncomfortable de-
gree, while the children in the other
parts of the room are cold.
Rented Quarters Inadequate.
The rented quarters are little. il
any, better than the portables, it
was found They include all kinds
of rooms, from a parish hall and
a church basement to any kind OF
a room that happens to be vacant
in that section of the city where
the school population has over
flowed beyond even the crowded.
schools and the portables.
The platoon system, which has
worked so successfully in Wash
ington, was brought here as a ne
ressity, The Herald has pointed
out. 1t was introduced merely to
relieve intolerable congestion and
not because the educational author
tiles believed in the principle.
After studying the platoon schools
of other cities the superintendent
of the local schools decided to try
out the system here.
The Park View school, on War
Ger street, was well adapted and
was found to be overcrowded. 1t
was therefore selected for the eX-
pertinent. The scheme proved to
be an unqualified success and has
won the Endorsement of both teach
ers and parents since its Inaugural
ton.
System Works Well.
The ork-study-play plan, as the
platoon system is called, proved
to be a success, it was found, be-
cause:
l. 1t gives better teaching of
basic subjects because teachers
have fewer subjects to teach; can
be better prepared, and bring more
enthusiasm to the work.
2. Better teaching of special sub
jects because each is taught by a
specialist
s. Smaller classes for basic teach
ers and no part-time classes.
4. Better discipline because chill
dren have more freedom and re-
sponsibility and develop self-con-
troll.
5. Children happier. more inter
ested, and therefore, concentrate
better.
6. Special subjects come into their
own-dramatics, art. literature, r7u-
sic-each open wider fields for fu-
ture enjoyment Community civics
start preparation for useful citl-
zenship.
7. The economy of the plan. 1t
saves building space. heat and serv-
ice. Saves equipment and provides
far more varied material for stu
dents at less expense.
Junior High schools Pay.
Investigation has proven that the
Junior high schools encourage stu
dents to continue education -he
junior high school is fitted into the
school system of cities to bridge
the break between the grammar
grades and the high school. II in
cludes the seventh and eighth
grades and adds a ninth grade, or
first year high school work.
Washington has only two Junior
high schools-the Columbia Junior
on o street between Sixth and
Seventh streets and the N street
Junior High School (colored).
The junior high school has proven
its Importance to the school system
and plans are already being drawn
for a new junior high in the north
east section of the city. Junior high
schools are bridges that are carry
ing over to the senior high and to
the colleges thousands of boys and
girls who would never jump the
ditch between the eighth grade and
the senior high school.
Teachers of High Standard.
The corps of teachers in the
schools. while poorly paid, are of a
high standard. They are devoted
to their professior-a profession
which carries a small salary for the
high service they perform.
As beginner the teacher re-
ceives $1,000 a year plus the bonus
of s240. And after ten years of
service she may. at yearly raises
of from s25 to $40. reach the maxi
mum Of $1,000 plus the s24O bonus.
At such salaries, some teachers
have taught in the same school for
a quarter of a century or more. The
majority OF Washington's teachers
are optimists. They keep hoping
hoping for the day when the schools
will be furnished with their many
needs.
The design of the Washington
school buildings, even hose COM
pleted during the past summer, il
not in accordance wit hthe modern
architecture of school buildings now
being used in all sections of the
country.
While school architects In prac-
ticslly all other cities learned many
years ago that the simple design
was the most useful and most ar
tistic for school buildings. Wash
ington continues to erect elaborate
entrances at the expense of the
equipment and interior of the build
ing. The Easements of practically
all local buildings, even the latest
built, are poorly laid out and none