New-York tribune., 1921-09-17
| l26,lO5 on
Part Time I'm
Schools Now
909,658 Pupils Packed
Into Crowded Rooms /;
Prall Makes Frantic Ef-
fort to Uphold Hylan

All records for school registration
were shattered on Wednesday, accord
ing to the official statistics issued by
the Board Of Education yesterday. They
show that on that date 909,658 pupils
registered in the day schools. OF this
number the amazing total Of 126,105
are on part-time instruction. The cor
responding number registering last
year was S56,113.
In desperate effort to nu1lify the
effect of this telling evidence against
the Hylan administration Aiming S.
Prall, president of the Board Of Educa-
tion, issued statement, after a con-
ference with Superintendent cf Schools
Ettinger and Superintendent of School
Buildings Snyder. The figures COM
pletely contradict President Prall's tes-
timony before the Meyer committee to
the effect that only 56,500 were on part
time.
In every case the official statistics
exceed the estimates that were made
before the schools opened, and show
that The Tribune's reports were con-
is the relief afforded by the belated
opening of the nine new schools and
two additions that were opened Mon
day, the first during the three and
half years of the Hylan regime.
Crowded High Schools
The most appalling conditions are
shown in connection with the high
schools. The figures show that there
are 8S,172 students registered and 49,,
230 Of them are on part time. The
Hylan administration has not built a
high school during its entire term of
office. The terrible crowding chat has
resulted is reflected back on the ele-
mentary schools, because it has been
necessary to take space in them for
high school purposes.
After holding up the release of the
statistics for considerable period
yesterday President Prall issued
statement in which he said in part:
'In the elementary schools the reg
istration this year over September
last year is 40,2S8, while the increase
in part time over the same period is
only 1908, which shows conclusively
the extent to which relief has been
given by the new school buildings built
by this administration, and the
careful organization Of classes through
out the city"
He failed to mention in his statement
that this increase in part-time pupils
is the second largest increase in the
only time it was evet exceeded or even
approached was last year, during the
Hylan administration, when there was
an increase of 27,S10 in part-time in
struction because the Hearst Hylan-
Tammany organization had failed ut
terly to supply new schools of any de-
scription.
During the Mitchell administration
the highest number of part-time pupils
under instruction in the elementary
schools was 46,402. This year there
time, exclusive of those who are on
double or triple session.
In his statement President Prall
tries to make case for his superior
at City Hall by dwelling on the Brook
lyn figures as follows:
"This (relief afforded by new
schools) is illustrated by the statistics
as reported from the Brooklyn schools,
where the greatest number Of build
ings were opened, which shows an in
crease in the register of 1896 and an
increase on part time of only 1883,
and in taking the June figures we find
the Borough of Brooklyn and q de-
crease in part time of 2,006."
Little Relief in Brooklyn
The real fact is that the relief af-
forded by the new schools in Brooklyn |
merely takes care of the increase that
should have been taken care of more
than year ago, while the present |
figures show that Brooklyn is again
on terrific upward stride in the num-
ber of part-time pupils. The statistics
for Wedne sday show there were 46,o11 |
pupils on part time in
Brooklyn.
Mr.. Prall then tries to explain the
nigh school conditions in the following
manner:
"The increase from September to
June is due to a new method of count
ing part time by which many thousands
Of students formerly classified on dou
Continued on next paue)