New-York tribune., 1922-11-17
v oters Must
Help Schools,
Says Ettinnger
Their Apathy Prime Cause of
Present Evils, He Tells
Rotarians; Asks Buildings
Enough 10 Care for All
Urges More Play Space
Would Let Education Board
Have Unrestricted Hand in,
Spending Appropriations

Dr. William L, Ettinger, Superin-
tendent of Schools, addressing the
meeting of the Rotary Club at the
hotel McAlpin yesterday, pleaded for
'gfeater and more intelligent inter-
est IN the vital problems of the public
schools on the part of all good citi-
zens. Apathy Of voters end failure of
successive administrations to provide
adequate funds have been the prime
causes of the present evils in the
secondary school system, he said, and
are the points of attack against which
uhceasing warfare must be waged un-
III these evils are overcome. There
can be no truce until New York builds
enough schools, each with sufficient
play space, TO take care of all it's chill
dren, he declared.
FURNISH more play space for your
children" said DR.. Ettinger, "and you'll
need less Jail space for your crimi-
nails"
Crowding Started in 1902
1t was in 1902, DR.. Ettinger said,
that the specter OF congestion in the
schools first raised its head. There
was then an enrolment in excess of
100000. and several thousand children
had to be put on part time. By 1922
the registration had almost doubled
with no corresponding increase in
seatlngs. Now there are approximately
l,ooO,00O enrolled in the public schools
OF New York City and the congestion
IS acute. Putting the overflow on part
time was the first means taken to
remedy this situation. But while part
time was no great evil in itself, it was
found to have attendant evils The
afternoon group, on the streets all
morning, came to school tired and in
poor condition TO study. The morning
group. released from the class room
and all supervision in the afternoon
were subject to the manifold tempta.
tions Of the city streets.
To cope with this unsatisfactory
condition DR.. Ettinger devised thu
double session plan, so that all The
children might be in school all day
those not in the classrooms being KEEP
occupied in the auditorium and on tn,
playground. But even the doubls
session plan falls far short Of meetins
the present exigency. the speaker said
Many schools are without playground
of any kind, and the children mus
play in the street or be kept indoors
Two hundred thousand are on doubl
session in overcrowded classes, man,
with registers OF over fifty, but still
10000 are on part time. This con
stitutes critical emergency, said DR.
Ettinger, and the future Of the city
of which these potential citizens vii
form SO important part, will in larg
measure depend upon what steps tn
! citizens of to-day take to meet it.
AS a basis for constructive pro
gram DR.. Ettinger suggested thre,
points that he regards as essential:
First--To make law that will Civ,
| the Board of Education the necessar,
fexibility in the exercise of its power
and enable it to expend its appropria
! tion as it holds fit without concurrenc,
of the Board of Estimate
Second-To do away with dual con
troll, always, he said, source of OBJ
struction, pickering and contention.
Third-To provide more schools will
| grounds--enough to accommodate
all the children with seats in classes
of practicable size.
| DR.. Ettinger took fling at tht