The New York herald., 1921-06-08
WOMEN TO DEMAND
SCHOOL REFORMS
Republican NeighborhOod
Association to Issue Cam
paign Book on Evils.
MENACE TO HEALTH
Buildings Overcrowded. Un.
sanitary and Teachers
Morale Lowered.
CLASSES ARE TOO LARGE
Number of Children on Part
Time Doubled in Last
Four Years.

Charges that the public schools of
the city are inadequate for the num-
ber of pupils attending the classes,
that many of the buildings are un-
sanitary and some in revolving con-
dition, and that the morale or the
teachers has been lowered, viii be
made by Republican women in their
campaign literature soon to be issued,
1t was learned yesterday.
The Republican Neighborhood AS
sociation, of which Mrs. James Russell
Parsons is president and Mrs. John S.
Sheppard vice president, asked one
of their members to present a report
on the condition Of the schools. The
Investigator had access to the data In
the hands of the Public Education AS
sociation of New York city and Sc
lected some of the most startling facts
to tell to the Republican women at a
recent meeting. These facts were gath
cred together from reports which are
the result of Investigations conducted
by a number of womens organiza-
tions interested in public health and
public education.
The Republican women's association
believes that the city schools are Of
primary interest to women and 1t is
important for the mothers to know
what the educational surroundings Of
their children are.
Children on Part Time.
~The public school children have euf-
fered specifically in four ways during
the last four years." the report states.
First one quarter of a million children
in the city either go to school part
of each school day instead of the whole
school day, to which they are entitled,
or else are on makeshift programmes to
make more space. These programmes
are, If anything, worse than part time.
"The number of children on part time
has more than doubled during the last
four years this in spite of the fact that
there has been practically no immgra-
ton. Whereas In April, 1913, there were
40.157 children on part time. In April
of this year the number had increased
to S3,901. In addition, there are 175,346
children on these makeshift programmes,
an increase of 5000 over the excellent
double sessions of the Mitchell regime.
Second: According to the statement
of the City Superintendent over half a
million children were I'm classes of over
40 pupils, one-quarter of million in
classes of over As. nearly $4,000 in
classes of so or over, and 5000 in classes
OF more than SIS. These are the figures
for 1919 and 1920. For 1920 and 1921
they are larger, for In the past four
years the increase in school accommo-
Iatf low fN,- Ia y f.xi
date exactly eight portable houses one
four room brick addition in Brooklyn
and one twelve room building in Forest
Hills. Thirty children are considered by
educators the largest number that should
be taught by one teacher.
Third: Suppose mothers are forced to
accept these enormous classes and have
their children treated en- masse. how
about the light. and cir and sanitary
conditions under which these forty to
fifty-five children under one teacher |
work?
Artificial Light Used.
I'm P. S. 10s, in Mott street, in every |
room artificial light is always necessary. |
The school was built for $50 pupils, now
there are 500. 1t was built about 1870. |
p. s. LOG, in the same vicinity, is near
an empty lot on the corner of Baxter and
Hester streets, which was purchased
years ago by the city for a school site.
In p. S. 100. near by. the smallest chill
dren require constant artificial light
and they are In tmprovised classrooms
made from larger rooms and divided off
by curtains. blackboards and screens.
'These schools are all fire traps The
washrooms In many buildings are a
menace to the public health. Some of
the plumbing is broken and nailed up,
necessitating doubling up Of the children
using these rooms.
'Tn the High School of Commerce,
built for 1900 and accommodating 1000.
a committee reported in February, 1919,
that the washrooms were unspeakably
dirty, much of the plumbing broken, the
floor wet and the odor most offensive
The committee found similar conditions
existing In all the lavatories throughout
the building. On the third floor of the
south wing the stencil permeated the
entire adjoining corridor. The lavatories
OF the instructors are also In bad repair
The lunchroom adjoins the washrooms.
II has one window below the street level
as Il is in the basement.
Worse by far are the washrooms in
p. $. No. 40. in Seventy-fifth street,
east of Third avenue. They are loath-
some and nauseatng. The boys have
to stand I'm water and slime. Some OF
the classrooms. one on each floor are
interior rooms with no windows and
there is no ventilation system in the
building.
Crowding of Pupils.
''P s. No. ~, in Fourteenth street, east
OF Second avenue. near Tammany Hall. |
has nearly 1000 children in the rooms. |
some OF which are I'm n more modern |
annex. with total seating capacity of |
400. Tho yashrooms are uasp--Lnsle
the ventilation bad. artificial light is al
ways needed in the classrooms and the |
building is dilapidated.
I'm the Julia Richman High School /
there is only gas. and some OF the rooms
require constant artificial light and on
dark and rainy days the gas is extra
low and escapes.
THE City Superintendent has asked
the Public Education Association 10 CO.
operate In proving intolerable the condl-
tions In over forty OF the worst build
ings
Fourth: The teachers are not
happy and their morale has been SER
iously impaired. This Is more dficult
TO bring home. perhaps. to the mothers
Of the children. but we know what the
daily effect OF such condition OF mind
en- the part of teachers means TO the
children
THE four concrete evils, increase of
part time, over crowding. neglect Of
buildings and the lowered moraR Of the
teachers. are souo az tho ettnarnriot !