Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-10-12
CROWDED CONDITIONS IN
RURAL SCHOOLS

Editor Every Evening: Many teach |
ers I'm the rural schools OF New Cas-
tle County resemble the "old woman
who lived In n shoe" Teachers, prin
cipals, supervisors and trustees have
struggled with the problems Cf over
crowded echools for several years and
feel that tho time has come TO tell
their troubles TO the public.
Four years ago the schools OF New
port were comfortably working with
four rooms well filled with pupils and
four teachers i'm charge OF these rooms.
The following year n partition was
torn out between two cloak rooms and
I'm the substitute for recitation room
thus created, another teacher wac put
10 work. Last year n room was rent
ed In the town and the first grade To-
Gated in the best substitute for Il
school room that could he provided,
another teacher being added TO the
force. This year the second grade was
''farmed out" and seven teachers are
now working in the Newport schools,
with another badly needed
This story could be repeated with
very slight variatione about every
village school in New Castle County.
In spite Of the fact that the Service
Citizens loaned q two-room portable
| building 10 Richards Park. two teach
ers are working on part time and
/ the front hall ia being used as class
| room Marehallton has one class re-
| citing in tho portable building loaned
| by the Service Citizens. one in the
lodge room some dlstaDce from the
/ school building and n primary grade
| working In the lower floor of dwell
| ing house. Seventy-two children must
! cross Lincoln Highway four times q
day In order To use the Fairgrounds
In spite OF these contrivances. the
main building ls much cvercrowded
Rose It'll has "A building planned
for one teacher, but the number o
pupils enrolled now demands five
teachers. First a partition was erected
| Next '1ean-to" was built haying GU
bic air space sufficient for thirteen pu
pils, but for the past two years from
twenty TO thirty pupils have had q
occupy this tiny classroom As In IN,
case Of Newport first ono. then anoth
er outside room was rented one o.
them being located two miles or NOR.
from the main building. thus maxim,
impossible adequate supervision b.
the school principal.
This story is repeated at Fnsmere
Delaware City. Middletown. st. Geor
ges. Brandywine Springs and Town
send. II IS deplorable that the schoo
houses arc unsanltary, antipuated ant
I unfit to be used as work rooms In tn
. great task of building better citizen
for a greater Delaware but in addi
, tion to all their other deficiencies, the
lack room to contain the CROWN
army of public school children.
/ What this years legislature Will d
in regard 10 providing funds for III
{ school buildings depends upon whs
, the citizens of the State demand. TIL
demands OF these needy l0calitie
T should be vigorously expressed befol
q the election. II any man goes to tn
= legislature unenlightened as 10 n
p school needs of his community II
. school authorities must bear the ont
{ of blame. Every teacher. pupil. tru.
o tee, principal and school supervis,
$ should make known the fact that Ne
: Castle County. needs schcol hulidlns
I and that the need is very pressing ar
. immediate.
q CitiZe