The Washington times., 1922-12-16
URGE
HARDING
To MD
Monday Evening Club to Ask
National Commission for
investigation.


Investigation.
Investigation Of the District of
Columbia public school system by
a commission of nationally known
men and women, to be appointed
by President Harding, will be
urged by the schools committee of
the Monday evening club, at the
meeting in the Cosmos club audi
torium next Monday night, it was
learned today.
See IntolerabIe Handicaps.
The school committee. headed by
William Mather Lewis. director OF
the education service of the United
States Chamber of Commerce, is
system is laboring under intolerabk
handicaps and that the situation
should be met Immediately.
The proposed commission woulG
make a survey of the cationaI
facilities and methods of admins
tration and instruction in the Dis,
trict.
Another branch of it's work would
be to outline a plan for organiza
ton, administration and operation
which, according to. the commit
tees report, would most nearly
realize the purposes. of public edu.~
cation and thus make the schools
of the District models for the en-.
tire nation"
Have Studied Problem.
The school committee for the past
several weeks has gone deeply into
the activities Of the District
schools.
The matter of administration and
organization has received special at
tention. Pointed remarks supple
menting the committee report. re-
garding the findings of the commit
tee, probably will be made by
Chairman Lewis at the meeting
next Monday night.
Five Points Emphasized.
Five needs are itemized as the
most pressing in the District schoo.
system. They are:
First, provision for an annual
census OF the children Of school age
In the District Of Columbia.
SECOND. flexible c0mpuls0r.
school attendance law under the nd
ministration of trained officers.
Third, provision for expert perodi.
cal physical examination Of all
school children, with proper ar.
rangements for furnishing al need
ed professional services from Ocunsts.
dentists, dietitians, visiting nurses
and other classes Of specialists.
-Four, the provision Of an adc
quate staff Of officers Of administra.
tiOn and instruction. To secure
such personnel the salary scale must
be sufficiently high to attract and
hold educators Of ability who have
requisite preparation for their work.
"Five, most fundamental Of all.
physical plant consisting Of land,
buildings and equipment Of such
magnitude and 80 planned and
located rs to furnish every desir-
able facility, not only for the mar.
hall. hut also for the fullest de-
veIopment Of the physical, recrea.
tional. artistic, social and COM
piunity life Of the coming genera
tiOn Of American cit3xens."
| The need Of the highest type OF
educators in the District schools is
emphasized by the committee.
Many Technical Problems.
MANY OF the problems with
which the public school system Of
| Washington is confronted are Of n
technical character" II II stated
Their solution will demand the
services of highly trained. fore
sighted professional educators"
| The serious copdition brought
about by overcrowding OF schools
IL to be brought before the club
with particular emphasis.
| Retarded pupils" 1t is charged
"are neglected. Provision should
be made for the mentally ana
physically handicapped"
Pupils attending the afternoon
sessions of the part-time sch heduies
tits pointed out. may not be In cor
dition to derive the most benef,,
from the study. Glasses are too
large, the committee states.
Smaller Classes Needed.
Experts agree that classes should
never include more than forty-five
pupils and that thirty-five n a more
desirable number" ia the commit
tees comment.
Crowded classes prohibit personal
/ contact of the teachers with the
pupils, and lack of space for confer
ence purposes often results in the
complete failure OF the student 70
keep up with his work and In hip
premature withdrawal from school,
the committee asserts.
1 n0I1Cs