Evening star., 1922-12-24
DISCARD FORCED
SCHOOL ECONOMY,
PLEA TO CONGRESS

PLEA TO CONGRESS
CONTINUED from First Pase.)
other class in the afternoon. Each
of these classes. under normal condi-
tions, would have a full days In
struction: Obviously. then. there Is
an additional element of shortage of
precisely $50 classrooms.
A third item must also be taken
in account. At least ten school build
ings recomme nded for abandonment
as far back as 1908. are still in serv-
ice. Including these and other wholly
unsuitable quarters. the indisputable
shortage in physical accommodations
mounts up to the appalling figure of
more than 400 elementary classrooms.
Statistical Shortage Translated.
But what does statistical shortage
mean? Translated into terms of hu-
man conditions, it means. first OF all,
part-time-that is to say. the chiidren
of the first. second. third and fourth
grades are put upon what amo uhts
10 half-time schooling. In other
words. they are robbed Of nearly
half the educational care and atten-
tion which they would receive under
normal conditions. Nor does this tell
the whole story. For the part-ime
system means that for two days out
six to ten years old-do their school
work under the most Instantaneous
circumstances. Instead of going 10
school at tho normal hour. fresh ana
in full vigor. these little children.
having more or less exhausted their
energies during the morning. are
herded indoors and instructed during
the hours OF waning energy. Not be-
ginning until l PM, they must De
confined until 4:30 pm. In the winter
months. that means until practlcaiiE
dusk And i'll many. many schools
II means without any artificial light.
, This is a manifest wrong to the chiid-
life of the community and bad ex-
ample to the nation.
Portable SCHOOL Scored.
Another wretched consequence Of
; this shortage is the portable scho2l;;
, The portable is at once unsafe ana
insanitary. 1t is built Of wood and
heated by a stove. 1t does not. there.
fore, admit of a properly regulated
temperature, and 1t cannot be venti-
4, lated except by chilling the overhead
ed children. 1t is the fruitful parent
of colds, grippe and influenza. The
children are almost constantly suo-
jected to the fumes OF coal gas: Ihey
are required even in the worst WIN
ter weather to go out Of doors to the
main building to answer the calls OF
nature. Such a school would hardly
be tolerated in the most remote.
backward and impoverished country
| district before the days Of hygienlc
science. Yet in the capital there are
seventy eight of these makeshifts.
That in these days children in a great
and wealthy city should be knowing
! ly subjected to such conditions Is
nothing less than an outrage against
F, public health.
! Congested Class Evil.
! The third evil consequence of the
i schoolhouse shortage is congested
strated that there is maximum
| limit Of efficiency in respect of class
numbers; anything beyond that maxi
+, mum is simply drain upon the phys
! ical and intellectual resources of the
+; pupils and the teacher.
! The character, as we'll as the intelli
gence, Of the pupils should be built
| up on a sure foundation. This canno,
be done when. for sheer lack Of school.
rooms, classes are crowded beyond al
possibility Of effective teacher-infiuence
Thus the whole Intellectual and mora
life Of the rising generation is stunted
and it becomes a serious question
whether instruction under these circum-
! stances is not oftentfnes a positive nor.
NAL injury. and not merely lessenet
benefit.
High SCHOOL Shortage.
So far. we have spoken Only of the
elementary schools. because We believe
that they come first. But popular edu
cation in America means more than th'
three Rs The high school is an essen
.tial part Of the system. And the con
ditions in the high schools are ever
worse than those in the elementar!
/ The Mckinley Manual Training Higl
School has a present enrolment Of 1,4S4
It's normal seating capacity (that Is ;
seat and a desk) is 9sS-o51 more pupil
Business High School has a presen
enrolment of 1.29S. Its normal ca
pacity is s62-336 more pupils thai
seats.
Central High School has a presen
enrolment of s.15s. Its normal seat
ing capacity is 1.e60-1,19S more pu
pills than seats.
Eastern High School has a presen
| enrolment Of 1852. Its normal scat
ing capacity is 576-476 more pupil
than seats.
Western High School has prescn
enrolment, of l.011. Its normal scat
ing capacity is 724-293 more pupil
than seats.
!, Dunbar high School has presen
! enrolment of 1866. Its normal seat
ing capacity is 1.302-263 more pupil
than seats.
Armstrong High School has a pres
:cnt enrolment Of 1895. Its norma
seating capacity is $3.50 more pu
pills than seats.
In short, taking the senior hig
!. |, schools alone. there is an actual ex
isting shortage Of 1851.
New School Promises Relief.
; Setting off against this preser
. shortage the partial relief which th
new Eastern High School will affor
; on February l. 1923-namely. 1900
! there will still remain a shortage G
? 2.161. To supply decent housing fe
! this brigade OF pupils would reQuir
/. another school building as large q
the Central High School itself.
What does this mean? 1t NEAR
I "part-time." 1t means a doub
shift. 1t means that pupils shall b
gin their school day at noon or latt
and that in winter the sessions mu
be dragged out until twilight Hel
iagain we have the same unwarrante
land highly injurious drain upon tt
, in the case Of the elementary school
1t is possible that the pupils. beiT
lolder, run less risk Of personal injur
tBut the condition is a positive ev
Nh one who sincerely believes in pul