New-York tribune., 1921-09-12
100000 Face
Hylan's School
Blight To-day
Arrnv of Children Must Put
I'm With Half-Time Train
ing in Structures Where
Health Is Daily Menaced
Teaching Staff Worried
MANY Pupils Barred From
Equal Start in Life as
Result of Mayors Policy

The most alarming situation in the
k;sserv of the Board of Education will
.nsold itself to the people of this city
.a-day when upwards Of 100000 pupils
hsrin their studies in the public
,,hools under the most adverse condi-
.;ons that ever existed locally.
As direct result of the failure of
,he Hylan administration to provide
nsw SCHOOLS, or adequately repair tho
I'D structures, nearly 100000 children
r;lJ be on part time in the elementary
schools. while in. the high schools the
stutents will all be on part time. Not
one high school has been built in years.
In some of the most crowded dis
tr;cfs the smaller children will be
,aurht in quardruple sessions. In one
a these schools--on Neptune Avenue,
Conev Island-this condition follows
months of pickering between the Hylan
administration and the Board of Edu-
cation over 8 new site. In this matter
.he Hearst-Hylan-T Tammany organiza-
lion recently was defeated in the Su-
urene Court. and the action of Mayor
Hylan sharply criticized in the opinion
handed down by Justice Cropsey as
deliberate breach of faith.
$4,000 in Unfinished Buildings
To meet the increase of more than
10000 pupils in the elementary schools.
the belated building program of the
Hylan regime will provide approxi-
mately 10000 new seats. Even in this
case, however. the children attending
the new schools will do so willis the
contractors are still putting the hn-
ishing touches to their work. Only by
the efforts Of c. B. J. Snyder, Superin-
sendent Of School Buildings, has the
work progressed as far as it has.
The problem confronting the teach
ing staff is almost Beyond solution.
The force was severely overworked
iast year because of the impossible
conditions, this year matters are much
worse. It is freely predicted by edu-
cational authorities that only a
miracle will prevent complete break
down in the morale of the teaching
stat. This is true both Of the ele-
mentary and high schools.
The Board OF Education itself has
imposed even further handicaps upon
the teachers by ruthlessly cutting
down the estimates for the coming
year on salaries, the result of which
will be a makeshift of education by
the employment of substitute teachers.
The latter Will be deprived OF the
full advantages that go to instructors
in the public schools, both as regards
salary and pension possibilities.
For six months the budget commit
zee Of the Board of Education
struggled with the problem of esti-
mates for teachers salaries. At the
conclusion Of these sessions it was
decided to ask for SLIPS, 1858, for
SO principals and teachers to care
for the increased registration in Sep
tembsr, and S596,103.71 for 1877 prin-
clpals and teachers for the 1922 in
crease.
When the board went into special
executive session to consider the bud
get estimates, a drastic cut was made
IN these figures. Members emerged
rom the meeting with estimates of
s752,0o0 for the September increase,
and 1897 900 for the 1922 gain.
High School Teachers Suffer
similar situation exists in the
high school estimates. The budget
committee estimated that 1877 new
teachers would be necessary for the
September increase, and that for this
purpose 1881 ,585 would be needed. For
the 1922 increase 205 new teachers
we're asked for with an estimated sal
ary cost Of 1881, ,124.04. Payment Of
salaries for new teachers in 1922 not
covering as many days as those ap-
pointed in September of this year,
The Board of Education, although
faced with the most extraordinary in
crease in high school attendance in
years. cut these estimates down to
s221 ,056.67 for the September item, and
10 1924, T49 .36 for the 1922 teachers.
At the close Of the last term the
average class had reached the un-
precedented proportion of forty pupils,
as compared to the maximum of thirty
five set down by educational authori-
Fes as the limit for one teacher. The
result Of the slash in the estimates will
mean, together with the abnormal ad-
vance in the registration, that the size
Of classes will be further increased
This in turn will add TO the teachers
burden, reduce efficiency and hold back
brilliant pupils, without aiding sub
normal ones
In addition. in many parts Of the
city pupils will be compelled to study
IN schools long since condemned
Many Of the buildings are in wretched
sanitary condition. and little or no
EFFORT has been made to improve the
s'tuation. Some are a daily menace to
health, others are fire traps.