New-York tribune., 1921-11-04
Disguised Boys
Quit Crowded
High Schools
Many, C Complaining TheyAre
Wasting Time Under Hy-
Ian System, Insist ON Drop
ping Out and Working
Mothers Explain Situation
One Forced to Put Daugh-
ters in Private Instit/ions
Because of Conditions

Discouraged by tho crowded classes
and the lack Of attention they get
from overworked teachers many boys
are leaving the New York City high
schools and are going to work before
the financial needs Of their parents
requires this of them. Boys Of high
school age, full Of budding abilities
and ambitions, are hard enough to
hold in school under tho best Of con-
ditions. Their attention flickers
easily and tales Of good wages in
business tempt them, but if the con-
ditions in school arc tolerable they
generally listen to the pleas Of their
elders.
Under present conditions neither
parent nor teacher has much answer
to make to the boy who complains
that he is wasting his time in school.
Either he leaves school to 60 to work
or II the parents arc well-to-do he is
transferred to private school.
This fact was revealed to The
Tribune inyestigator yesterday, in the
Scott. OF 60 Washington Square, whose
son attends De Witt Clinton High
School.
my son tells mo that many Of the
boys are dropping out" she said.
He says that they say to each other
that they might as we'll quit and 60 to
work and earn something since they
are not learning anything in school.
Many Of then, have been kept in
ents, who really need The little they
could earn, but are willing to give
them the better chance for the future
which high school education insures.
1t is hard for the families of these
boys to keep them in school, but If
they have the satisfaction of knowing
that the boys are doing good work it
compensates them for everything
but to keep them in school and have
them learn so little, that is cruel and
unjust.
II realize," continued Mrs. Scott,
that much of boys after life de-
pends upon the influences of high
school life. I considered placing nv
son in private school, as have done
with my daughters, for there was no
girls school that was not crowded to
capacity, and l was afraid to put them
into the Julia Richmond, anyhow, for
| have heard such dreadful reports Of
conditions there. But I wanted my
son to have the education in democracy
which only a. public school can give and
l hoped that this would be a compen-
sation for some other things which I
realized that he would miss Even that
is lost in the crowds. There is no
chance to build up a class spirit and
no opportunity for that association of
boys with each other and with teachers
which has been the making Of many a
mans life"
Mrs. Carter Herndon, 3S3 Park Ave-
nue., said:
II have FIVE children and they arc all
in private schools, but that is not be-
cause wanted them to go to private
schools. | did not. wanted them to
have just the training and the lessons
IN the give-and-take life which only
public school gives. believe with all
my heart in the principle Of the public
school, but do not believe in the pub
lic schools Of New York. No mother
who makes an Investigation of them
with the one thought in her mind, DO
| want my child to come here day after
day! can believe in them.
"But you can't educate children IA
you herd cattle, and that is what is
being done in this city now. It is alb
surd. One could hardly credit the
things that those of us mothers who
have taken the trouble to investigate
know about the schools Talk about
civilization and citizenship--it is Just
as a mother said rday-you talk
patriotism to child and then treat
him in a way to kill every drop of pa
| triotism in him."