New-York tribune., 1921-10-24
Girls Health
Shattered i'm
Packed Schools
Many Attending the Higher
Grades Suffer Break.
down Because Of Crowded
Conditions i'm Buildings
More Mothers Voice Protest
Against Piecemeal System
of Educating Little Ones

Many gfris attending high schools
break down in health as result OF the
crowded conditions. according to o
teacher in one of the girls high
schools.
These numerous collapses are due
directl. to various causes, but indi-
quate school facilities The lack of
seats enough to so around compels the
pupils to get up before daylight, starts
them off for school in an i'll humor
after gulping down a hasty breakfast
and then thrusts them into a sadly
overcrowded room
"As a result" said the high school
teacher yesterday, I'VE find many
breaking down as the terms advance.
We have law compelling physical
training, but we ask our children to do
things which we know harm them
physically--to climb stairs, sit on
stone steps, stapd for long periods and
to crowd two or three at time into q
seat made for one.
CuItivates Slovenly Habits
"All of this cultivates' slovenly
habits in children; they SLOUGH into
seats, lop on window sills. sort OF put
their bodies where they viii be as Ut
tie in the way Of the schedule as pos
sible. Some years ago we were en-
phasizing posture in all Of the Schools
and vet we ask children to seat them
selves in class rooms in sucn ways as
TO make grace or even healthfulness
of position out of the question:
Crowded high schools are source OF
great anxiety to mcthers whose daugh-
ters are anxious to fit themselves Tor
business and who are impatient 10
finish the school time and get posi-
tions. The mothers know that they
muet be rirhtly trained for positions
and are willing to make any sacrhce
to this end. but they do not feel that
the schools are doing their part"
Mrs M. Freedman, 112 East tigh.
teenth Street. caid last night: 1T lsn't
fair to the children to crowd them out
of school ths way NV oldest girl
goes to Washington Irving now, but
the first of the term there was no room
for her. and she had to lose tnree
weeks of school until other classes
could he organized and the schedules
nrranped to take care of them"
Mrs, n. Moser. at meeting OF rhe
O1iyet Memorial Church Mothers
Club said: "Of course, we are al
Interested in the schools. That is
part Of our interest as mothers. bu'
fhe mothers have known for years tha'
the schools were crowded and th''
more schools were needed--and three
years ago they said they were going tt
give us enough schools so that every
child could have a scot. The schnols
were crowded then, but now the chill
dren arc simrly crowded cut alto
rether. Why cannot schools be buA'
as churches are. and sto~es-as the
4. u 6c y, or,
Mrs. Kupfermon of 2414 Mermait
Avenue, Coney Island, said 81 want
nv girl to 90 to schNol on regula1
hours-that is the way to cultivate
regularity in children. When they
have one part Of the term on one time
and another part on later tine the
child mrst readiust all of the things
of his life That is easv for ch'ldrerr
too easy. and so not good for them
700 in Quadruple Sessions
Out at Coney Island there is
school annex of four rooms, where
they have from $50 to 700 children or
quadruple sessions Of two hours each
This Is a record breaker, and the
mothers whose children go there te
school are . not very happy ahaut it
SO serious is the school cond tion ir
that part of the greater city that the
people Of the community have definite.
ly put it to the candidates that they
must declare themselves on the school,
question