Evening star., 1921-05-15
COMMITTEE NEARS
.. CLOSE Of HEARING.
): ON SCHOOL NEEDS
Miss Boardman Urges Max
! ing System an Example
to Whole Country.

The Senate District subcommittee
on schools has practically con'iuoe"
it's hearings on the needs OF the pun
lie schools of Washington. Senator
CAMPER, chairman. announced laSl
night. He said that the members VI
the subcommittee would now WISH the
schools themselves and make per
sonaI inspections.
Senator Capper had a conference
Yesterday with DIR. Claxton. tnlteu
States commissioner of education, re-
garding the local schools ana thei'
needs. DR.. Claxton is impressed with
the need of new and larger school
buildings Senator Capper SAID he
believes in adopting building pro-
gram which Will look to the needs OF
the future.
1T is Or. Claxton's opinion said
Senator Capper. that We expect an
annual increase in the school popuia- L
tion of the District of per cent. he
believes that in planning for heAl
schools we should take into c0nsldefa-
ton this future increase in the num-
ber of children who must be gwen m
struction. He also believes tha' II
would be wise to erect much larger
school buildings with assembly halls
yymnasiums etc. and abandon, when
possible, the smaller units. Such pro-
gram has been adopted by number OF
other cities"
survey of Needs.
Senator Capper said that DR.. ClaXton
had promised to have survey OF lhe
school needs made by an expert OF the
bureau of education, who is CONVEX
Cnhn n
the results of the survey to the Sem
ate committee.
Senator Capper has received a large
number of suggestions for improvements
in the schools from members OF the
board of District Commissioners. officers
Of the ent-teacher associations. and
other civic organizations, to whom ne
sent letters asking that they send rec
concentrations to the committee.
Miss Mabel Boardman. until re-
Gently a member of the board of Dis
trict Commissioners, writing to SEN
ator Capper. said:
Il feel strongly that the public
schools of the National Capital should
be models as far as is humanely pos
sible. In the past. ] have had the
wives of congressman tell me that.
being interested in their home schools.
they had hoped to find here d model
school system from which they could
learn much to the advantage of their
home education organization. but that
they were disappointed in what they
found. Realizing that the schools of
Washington will be looked to ex-
ampIes. there is double reason
why the educational facilities here
should come up to the best standards,
in ample and we'll arranged school
Accommodations. in proper equipment
in sufficient playgrounds-or what
think should be called outdoor
recreation facilities-and with ade-
1uate salaries to attract and retain
the teaching personnel-the highest
type of trained men and women.
Deplores Use Of Yards.
THE fact that the limited yards OF
number of our schools have hat
to be utilized by portable schoo
buildings is greatly to be regretted
] do not consider the portable schoo
in itself as Objectionable il properl,
heated and ventilated, as the use o.
the playground for its site. 1t is {
disgrace that at recess time the
Commissioners have had TO order tn.
streets closed to traffic in the vicin'
ity of a number of our schools t.
provide some playground space fol
the children.
''Within a block around Stanton
Square there are three schools no
one of which possesses playground
and there are a number Of others il
the same condition. Whenever it i.
possible to obtain land within thu
vicinity of these schools, it should
be done before it is build. upon. ant
in the future no school site should b'
purchased that is not large enough
to provide for additions withou
destroying the necessary play
ground