New-York tribune., 1921-10-03
Hylan's School
Defence Draws
New Criticism
aa.,iic Education Association
Points Out That Gain in
seatings Will Be Exceed
Id by 1922 Registration
CAMPAIGN Spurs Building
Room for $4,000 Children.
However. Was Paid For
Out of 4-Year-Old Balance

The Public Education Association in
.hs current issue Of its bulletin, issued
yesterday, says ironically that it re-
,rets exceedingly the statement made
n previous number that the public
,ehools Of the city are in sorry
slight.' After having been taken to
ask BY the Hylan administration the
association says It is ready TO admit
that:
"Thers are only 126.105 children on
ssrt time in the city schools, That is
only four times as many as there were
IN April, 1918, and only 10000 more
than year ago. The insignificant
tgure is due to the fact that several
new buildings seating nearly $4,000
children have Just been opened, which
we're largely paid for out of the SILL
a5o 600 balance at the close of the
last administration, four years ago.
There are, IN addition, only about
1750Oo children on makeshift double
session programs which are almost as
rood as part time-although many
think them much worse-and which
bring the total number Of children de-
nrived Of full days schooling to
only slightly more than 800, 600. Think
nj that for a record,
Campaign Spur to Bnilding
but ct any rate before long, it is ex-
Will
be opened, seating approximately 10000
children, which Will make the total
number OF new seatings provided dur
inc the Hylan administration almost
equal TO the number provided by his
predecessor. who so numerically sac
rideed the child TO the dollar While
these new seatings viii be more than
absorbed by the new pupils added to
the register during the coming year,
so that the number on part time will
be greater next September than now,
there is nothing much to be alarmed
about. Conditions obviously will not
be so bad as they would be if no new
buildings at all had been constructed.
Furthermore, in addition to the 15,-
000 seats already provided and these
10000 expected, despite which part time
Will doubtless be greater next fall than
at present, there are under contract or
being planned buildings seating nearly
10000, bringing the total, according to
Mr. Prall, up to 64,831. While even I'M
der the best of conditions these cannot
all be finished until next year. so that
they, too, will be absorbed by the in
crease in register-whch this year
alone was over 90 00O-leaving part
time just about as bad 6 at present,
that Is nothing to worry about-now
Why borrow trouble? Even if the re
served seat for every child program
does seem to get nowhere in solving
congestion, there is surely something
IN sticking to a principle.
Only 100000 children, or about
two-thirds Of the total register, are in
diversified cl4sses-classes having only
10 or more childten OF these, only
about half are IN classes of not less
than 45, and only few hundred more
than $4,000 in classes of not less than
30. While, OF course, this reduces the
efficiency OF instruction, overburdens
the teachers and adds to fire hazard
nshould not be exaggerated. In schools
where classes meet or the stairs, for
example, it is obvious that pupils can
escape much more easily in case of fire
than If they were cooped up in class
rooms. It IS an i'll wind that blows
nobody any good
Only 496 Buildings Unsafe
Fire violations have been cited BY
tas Fire Department against only 496
out Ct e95 school buildingsl The rest
are doubtless safe. The total number
o. violations is only slightly more
than 1900, which shows how absurd