The New York herald., 1921-10-02
PARENTS CONFUSED
BY SCHOOL HOURS
Domestic Routine Upset by
Programme Arranged to
Meet Overflow.
RELIGION A FACTOR
Many Pupils Suffer From
Eye Strain After Study
in Artificial Light.
MEAL HOURS CHANGED
Teachers Deplore Loss of Per-
sOnal Contact With Their
Students.
MEAL HOURS CHANGED

daily domestic routine disarranged by
the programme adopted by the Board
OF Education to make room for an
overflow of public school pupils. In
some instances this readjustment Of
the hours has worked hardship and
generally speaking it is confusing and
inconvenient to parents who have been
used to the regular school periods
Besides the mass of pupils attend
ing school at the regular hours there
are thousands in the double session
classes and more than 125, 900 on part
time. The double session pupils school
hours are as long as those registered
for the regular session, but they come
later, usually in the afternoon, and
the classes overlap those Of the morn
ing pupils. Where there are triple or
quadruple sessions the day begins soon
after dawn and in midwinter continues
until dark. Part time pupils have their
schedule shortened by one or two
hours, although in some instances they
receive practically the full course.
A Typical Example.
The Washington Irving High School.
which has a double session, starts at
S:17 A. M. and continues through until
:43. Glasses overlap during the middle
of the day and If there were triple
session there would be another overlap
ping period and the day would be con-
sderably longer.
the part time classes than to the double
session programme. Many of them un-
derstand very little about the arrange
ment. The point which seems to strike
them as most important is that Giovanni
isn't at school as long as he used to be
OR as long as some OF the other boys in
the neighborhood are. Where the
mother looks upon the public school as a
sort of governess this shorter pro-
gramme Is something of trial. Instead
OF having Giovanni looked after by his
teachers all morning and until o'clock
in the afternoon, with an hour off for
luncheon. her offspring may be at home
all morning and at school all afternoon,
or at school in the morning and at home
in the afternoon. If 1t happens that one
of her boys goes from A. NJ. until -
noon. and another from IL noon until
BIS p. NJ, she finds that this arrange
ment has it's advantages and its disad-
vantages The advantage to her Is that
she can have one of the boys at home all
the time to run errands or mind the
house If she has to go to the store. And
there Is a disadvantage to her in the
fact that the day starts early. that one
boy has to have his luncheon before the
other boy comes home from school, and
that the morning session boy. IL he hap
pens to be quite young, has to be taken
care of by some other member of the
family instead OF his big brother. who
has to go to school in the afternoon.
Teachers, principals and parents find
more of this sort OF confusion in the
double session than In the part time
schedule. One objection raised by Jewish
parents to the two day sessions is the
fact that the afternoon programme dur
ing winter continues on after sundown,
and orthodox Jews religiously abandon
all occupation when the sun drops be-
olw the horizon on certain days In one
of the girls high schools the Jewish stu
dents carried their religious scruples in
10 the classroom and refused to continue
their work after the hands Of the clock
had reached a certain hour. The asso-
ciate principal pleaded with the girls to
continue for the sake Of class discipline,
and some complied. But teacher or
principal could not insist upon their do
ing so.