The Washington herald., 1921-11-26
Congestion Is Cause of So
Many Retarded" Pu-
pills, Experts State.
UNFAIR TO TEACHER
Too Many Students in One
Class Handicap to Educa-
tors and Children.
Continued from Page Ons.

ing buildings that children GER
tainly did not come in packages Of
forty in the Washington schools
The overcrowded room was found
everywhere. In grade after grade,
from the kindergarten to boys and
girls preparing for high school, the
rooms contained from forty-two 10
fOrty-eight pupils. But the saving
grace was the fact that in most
cases there seemed to be a con-
scientious teacher who was doing
the best she could though inwardly
convinced that at is not fair to
them or to me-" In eight-room
buildings the administrative prin-
cipal was found teaching an eighth
grade with more than forty pupils
to set ready for high school be-
side attending to her duties as
principal.
When the Takoma School was
visited no congestion was expected
there as new eight-room addi-
ton had just been completed. But
though the new and the old build
ings were connected by a wide cor
ridor 10 feet long ESQ arranged
because an assembly hall may be
added some day) there are not
enough class rooms to prevent over
crowding. double sessions and
waiting list. Ten out OF eighteen
classes were above the forty mark.
Double sessions were held in the
kindergarten with forty eight chill
dren in both the morning and after
noon class; the first grade room had
to serve two large classes and
there is a waiting list for both
kindergarten and primaries.
Petworth Also Crowded.
Another school which has a new
eight-roon addition and the same
long connecting corridor Is the Pet
worth which has the majority of
its classes over forty. is using four
porta bles and running two kinder
-artens of forty pupils each. The
normal capacity of the school is
$40 while the enrolment is 1000.
The fact that these are new build
ings and modern in most ways makes
tho burden OF the overcrowded room
perhaps a triie lighter. But unfor-
tunately not all the overcrowded
buildings are OF this type. II school
house commission were appointed now
il would undoubtedly add several
more buildings to the condemned list
most Of them in sections where the
school population has outgrown the
buildings. A school Of this type is
the Stevens (colored), on Twenty
first and K streets northwest. Built
in 1858. with an addition in 1895,
the normal capacity of the building
is $50. but the present enrolment
is SAT. Besides the regular attend
ance. a large number Of boys and
girls come into the building for do
nestle science and manual training,
making dangerous congestion in an
old building with decidedly made
quate FIRE protection. Beside the reg
ular grades and the centers for do
nestle science and manual training {
the Stevens School has a fresh-air
class, an atypical class and an un-
graded room. All the regular grades
run above the forty mark, and, most
unfortunate of all. there are three
fourth grades and three third grade.
on part time.
e Glasses I'm 16 Rooms.
other overcrowded schools may be
briefly summed up as follows:
The H. d. Cooke, Seventeenth street.
between Euclid and Fuller streets
northwest A new four-room addi-
ton Is being built here but already
there are twenty-five classes crowded
into sixteen rooms and two portables.
All rooms are over-crowded and three
third grades on half time. The new
four-room addition will not even do
away with the portables. The normal
capacity Is 72O. enrolment is ss1.
Bryan School. Thirteenth and B
streets southeast. There are twelve
classrooms and one portable with six
teen classes to be housed. Normal
capacity IS $50. present enrolment
SIS.
E. V. Brown School. Connecticut
avenue and Mckinley street north
west There are sixteen classroom.
that accommodate twenty-one classes.
Normal capacity is $40, present en-
rollment is s2s.
fourth and Lowell place northwest.
has eight regular classrooms and
four portables. Sixteen classes are
taught in these twelve rooms with
one fourth grade and two third
grades on half time and kinder
garten accommodated in two hall
rooms The normal capacity is 4sO.
the present enrolment is 572.
Colored Schools Coneesfed.
The Garrison School, Twelfth
street. between r and northwest
(colored), has eight regular class
rooms and six portables, which ac-
commodate eighteen classes. The
normal capacity is $50 and the
present enrolment 742
The Lovejoy. Twelfth and d
streets northeast (colored). This
school has thirteen class rooms in
which are taught eighteen classes
by having three third grades on
half time. Normal capacity is $40.
present enrolment 707.
This does not by any means in
clude all the outgrown schools in
the District, but shows only the
high spots Of overcrowdins. Since
in these articles we are considering
only the elementary schools no
mention is made OF the high schools
where some of the worst congestion
is found, the Eastern High, with a
normal capacity of 400 and an en-
roffment of s45 being a notable ex-
ample.
The superintendent of schools in
a recent report says that there are
444 classes with over forty pupils
mar teaoher In the Waahfnrton