The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-03-11
PUBLIC SCHOOLS SURVEY
REPORTS FROM 429 CITIES
ARE ISSUED
Children Now Housed In Fire
Traps and Makeshift
Buildings .."
Associated Press Dispatch

ASSOCIATED Press DlSpatch.l
New York, March 5. - Tens OF
thousands of school children housed
in fire traps and hundreds OF thous-
ands of them either on half time or
makeshift buildings is the condition
in 429 cities of the United States as
disclosed in report made public to-
day. The report was issued by the
national committee for chamber OF
Commerce cooperation with the pub
lie schools on a survey conducted by
the American City Bureau.
The committee was organized in
February, 1920, to inquire into school,
conditions. Its executive committee is
headed by George d. Strayer, of
Teachers College, Columbia Univer-
sity, New York. The evidence pre-
sented SHOWS clearly that there are
tens of thousands of children now
housed in old, insanitary, dangerous
buildings" says Mr.. Strayer in his
introduction to the report. Many Vi
these structures are best classified
as fire. traps"
Data was received from 429 cities
The report says: These facts, OBJ
tanned from seventy five percent, OF
all the cities reporting, show that in
these cities even excluding those
housed in anneXes whose conditions
may be normal, there are more than
Asa, 5000 children who are either on
half time because OF lack Of building
space or are housed in portables
rented buildings, attics, Easements OF
corridors. 1t would require an aver
age of two thirty room buildings in
house these groups of children
alone"
Inadequaey of Playground Space
The report sets forth statistically
the inadequacy of playground space
1T is clear that in many cities child
rem are now housed in buildings N
which there is less space on the
playground than is supplied in the
classrooms in which they are taught"
says Mr.. Strayer in the introduction
"Thrte million six hundred thousand
Children are represented in this report
on Fairgrounds" it is stated, and the
100000 children-have each a
playground less than six by six feet
per pupil and many of them have nc
playground at all.
These facts of limited playground
space" says the report, present one
CT the serious problems confronting
those who are interested in the well
fare OF American school children
Whatever the cost adequate play
ground space should be provided ior
those school buildings already erect
ed i'm congested districts. Public sen
timent must become SO strong that
it will be considered breach of trust
for school authorities to erect a
school building on a site that will not
afford adequate playground space for
all the pupils housed in the building
On the subject OF fire hazard in
schools, the report states: '"Only five
percent of the total number OF build
|dngs. Only IL percent have automatic
usually called treproof. Only a, small
number Rave fireproofing elements to
lessen the fire hazard to the children
At least twenty five percent of the
two poorest types of buildings are OF
two or more stories and do not have
fire-escape. Thirty nine percent oi
these two types are without fire ex-
tinguisherS, and less than ten percent
of them have automatic sprinkler
equipment in any part of the build
ings. Only IL ercent have automatic
fire alarms. Such facts as these de-
monstrate the existence of a real
menace to the children of these
schools were built prior to 1897.
Children Who Leave Public Schools
The report directs attention to "the
large number of children between the
ages of thirteen and sixteen years
who leave the public schools" There
Is probably no more serious problem
or one more difficult to solve now
facing the people of this country
it says. 81.
According to the reports from 290
cities, six percent of the children
have left school before their thir-
teenth year, nineteen percent before
fourteen, thirty eight percent before
fifteen and sixty four percent before
they are sixteen years old.
In the geographical groups" the
report continues, "the highest per-
cent of these children remain in the
western cities. Next in order are the
Great Plains cities, then the south
ern, the Great Lakes, and lowest OF
all are the eastern cities. In this last
group only twenty nine percent OF
the children sixteen years of age, and
fifty six percent of those from four
teen to sixteen years, inclusive, are
in school," Attention I is directed tc
"a notable falling off in attendance
at evening schools during the last six
years, period of unusually high
wages"