New-York tribune., 1921-11-01
Packed Schools
lax ON Health,
Mothers Learn
Overcrowding Is Reported
To Be Straining Nerves of
Children, as Well as Caus-
ing Parents to Suffer
Bad Sanitary Conditions
Little Ones Are Compelled
to Play in Basement That
Is Filled With Foul Air

More protests we're added yesterday
to the many that have been voiced by
New York mothers in regard to the
hardships being suffered by their chill
dren because of the mismanagement of
the city's school system by the Hylan
administration.
Mothers yesterday bitterly con-
demned the administration. for the
crowded condition of the city's schools,
and the complicated time schedules
many children are forced to put up
with.
Mrs. L. Dreyfuss. of e01 West 151st
Street, said that while she had only two
children and that one of them is in
kindergarten, she has full reason to
know that the schools are hopelessly
overcrowded. "All mothers know the
school situation as it is" she said, "and
will be glad to do anything can that
Will bring more schools to the city"
Mrs. G. Mulhum, of SOS West 151st
Street, said: II have only two children
IN school, but they are on different ses-
slons, and that is almost like having
another family to look after. / go back
and forth myself four times a day, and
truly do not do much Of anything else.
do not see how mothers stand it where
there are more than two children.
Bad Sanitary Conditions
1T isn't any harder to build schools
than apartment houses, though it re-
qulres different sort of determina-
tion-a determination to take care of
the children. The city not onlv does
not build enough schools, but does not
take the right kind of care of the ones
it has.
my children go to Public School 1856.
Sanitary conditions there are dreadful.
The odor in the indoor yard or base
ment, where those children spend
part OF every day, either waiting for
place In class or marching and GYM
nastlcs, is terrible. Mothers have pro-
tested but it seems to be condition
wnlch VIII require quite a little expen-
olture TO correct. They need new sew
ers Or something. Now, think of that!
Exposing children to such a condition
day after day! And the teachers are
helpless. They do not like it anv moro
than the mothers do.
The school is the foundation of the
whole social life of the child, Last
year when took my little girl to Sun
DAY school they asked me first of all
what grade she was in at school: that
Is the, question that comes un ripht
along, just exactly as they ask man
Wnat business experience he has had.
Certain things are accepted of a child
OF certain age, but we all know that
children cannot learn as much or form
the same habits of thought and study
etat tney would under the right school
81 am glad that mothers are begin
n'ng to think about it. No, I mean
talk about it. We have been thinking
ABOUT 1T Tor long time. We only wish
we could do something to change it
and we will"
Children's Nerves Taxed
1T is quite time that some one is
thinking about the mothers point of
view" said Mrs. Kadane, col West
Ioist street, for the mother thinks
only IN terms Of the children, and she,
as no one else, can feel the effect that
an OF TINS mixing of time ana schedule
is having. OF course, it is inconvenlent
for us, too, but we do not think of
that except when we realize that Il is
doing the children harm.
LAST year broke down going back
and forth to school. My little son must
go up Broadway. and simply must
take him and go for him and then
prlng him back again in the afternoon.
he goes up to 156th Street and Amster-
dam Avenue, which means that he has
to go uptown for five blocks and then
across town for the long block.
There are only two schools IN here
on the middle heights and both are
overcrowded and on double session.
and we have long since learned that
double session is very much worse
scheme than straight part time would
be. The waste of time and of nervous
energy tells on the child Children
are subjected to so MANY nervous
strains all the time,l even under the
best of conditions, and when YOU add
the constant strain of crowded build-
ings. and class rooms you do them last
ing injury"