The Washington herald., 1921-12-13

\ tou, Of inspection of Washing
toms schools by the Joint Committee
on Education OF the District Con-
gressional Committee will be begun
today.
The Herald's inveSti gator having
spent several weeks visiting the Dis
trict schools and being able to touch
only the high spots Of bad HOUSING
and congo eStion. realizes that the Com
mittee on Education needs 1000 eyvs
and the ubiquity Of the proverbial
flea to see even a small part of the
conditions that need reforming.
To men of conscience this will
not he a pleasant sightseeing trip
II the school authorities have NOT
hastened to send to the condemned
buildings supply of the "disin-
fectants" that were furnished before
the war, the inspection of the san
itary conditions will be anything but
an easy task. However, having un-
dertaken the commendable purpose OF
making the Washington schools a
model for the entire country. il =
well for the committee to know first
hand how must must he done before
these schools can be compared even
with the consolidated country school
buildings in States from which many
of the committee come.
Come Mt Recess.
Undoubtedly the Committee on
Education will visit some Of the con-
demned schools of Washington. It
is hoped they will not overlook the
Webster. the Abbot and the J. +
Cooke Ccolurrd). May they arrive
at the Webster at recess and see 400
ChildIen trying L" play in a narrow.
brick areaway and on the sidewalk.
frequently dart ng into the busy
street That one antiQuated fire es-
cape on the Webster should be
noted and Congressman should re-
member they are responsible for the
law that compels children to attend
school in a firetrap.
1t is a safe net that no committee
| man comes from a community that
would tolerate such a school build
ing as the J. F Cooke. A basement
/ kindergarten with a few feet of
an unsanitary toilet, and a three
| story firetrap without a fire escape
are conditions other self-respecting
American cities would not permit.
II the committee visits the Brad
ley School I may happen upon a
seventh grade class sitting in pri-
mary seats and cultivating spinal
curvature while listening to a les
son on health habits. There are
many other bad conditions at this
school. as well as at the jefferson.
the Threlkeld and all the other con-
demned buildings.
II the members want to return to
the little red schoolhouse of their
III
School thev will find a one-room
building as primitive as those of
the frontier days and in many re-
spects less desirable. One teacher
is conducting four grades at this
school, with practically no equip
ment, and in a room impossible to
heat or ventilate.
Causes and Results.
Simply walking through a room
with from forty-siN to forty-eight
children enrolled will never enable
one to comprehend the crime of
overcrowded classes. 1t is hoped
that some member of the commit
tee is sufficiently familiar with edu-
cational processes to see the results
of such conditions. At least it is
well to remember that from over
crowded classes come the retarded
pupils or the 'repeaters.' Such
pupils make necessary the ungrad-
ed classes for the so-called incor-
rigibles. Also it is hoped the COM
mittee will see the way the sub
nornals. the incorrigibles, and re-
tarded pupils are treated in the
Washington schools. They will find
them in the Oldest, dingiest btild-
ings, with very little play space
and with nothing to bring beauty