New Britain herald., 1921-08-10

children need more than the three R's. They need more studies of the biographies of the people who have made America great. They need to know more of American history. They must have careful training in Ameri- can government, customs and ideals These cannot be given adequately where the classes are overcrowded Where ther Is but one. grade in a room. teacher can handle more chi1- dren, if they are we'll graded as 70 ability and preparations, than can be handled where there are several grades to be taught, under the same 1 conditions. It is not wise, however, to give mere than 35 children in one grade If good results are to be expect ed. A study of the table given above shows only two rooms which met this standard as to mum Der. These are two first grades with large proportion Of the children just beginning to learn the American language, a condition which calls for much smaller classes. In all of the Berlin schools there is high proportion of children of for eign parentage. This, with the fact ] that two and three grades in a room are the rule and not the exception | makes it desirable to have smaller are the rule and not the exception" it is impossible to have such classes. Growth Housed in Kensington To care for the growth in popula- | tion in Kensington, various expedients were adopted. First: two basemen nt play rooms were finished off as class l rooms. They are not of regular size and fall short of the standards that are accepted as desirable While they are not a menace to the children hous- ed in them, their use should not be continued longer than can be helped. , It is never desirable to use rooms of l this character as school rooms.
 Second: the old Ledge schoou was | re-opened. While the building is In good condition, 1t would be mistake to continue its use indefinitely. In order to use 1t advantageously 1t has been necessary to place in it four grades with two teachers. The chill dren were taken from the Kensington school. The children have lost, in this way. the advantage that grows out of the better grading and classification of children in a larger school.
 | Third: an extra room has been opened at the Percival school, so that this school now cares for grades one to six, instead of just the primary children. This is another step away from the well graded school toward the old district type of school which was abandoned ten years ago.
 Fourth. two room frame portable building was erected at Kensington. This was purely temporary ar- rangemeht, adopted because of ex- orbitant building costs year ago. l These four expedients now inade- quate. grew out of tho world war and the inflated cost of building in tho period following the war. The school committee was justified in recommen ending them at the time as temporary measures of relief. The time has now come when the Rer- lin school committee is justified in asking the Town of Berlin to con slider ways and means of providing proper school facilities in Kensing- ton to be ready for the school year l1922-23.
 What is Needed.
 When the present building was
 erected in Kensinston it was designed
 to permit adding an. eight or twelve room addition as occasion should larise. The time has come when this
 should be done. Already enough
 children arc housed un temporary quarters to cali for the use of six
 of these rooms at once. Another
 year or two, at the present rate ot
 growth, will make still other facili.
 ties imperative.
 The growth of the junior high
 school will make it desirable to erect special building for that department
 within few years. When this ia
 done there will be left availa bio fo,
 elementary school purposea enoush
 room to house the children for a
 number of years to come
 A twelve room addition would post
 pone ali building problems in Ken.
 sinston for number of years-at
 least hvd or eight years. An eight
 room addition would mean facine