Evening star., 1924-07-13
Wasl,ington's Summer Schools
Effect Sauing to Taxpayers
Backward Pupils
Enabled to AuOid
Delay in Grades.
Promotions Mean
Economy il, Money
of Nearly Sl33,O0O.

Washington's summer schools, which
opened Monday for six-week in
tensire course, will save the taxpay-
ers of the District approximately
$4,000, it was estimated today by
school officials. The saving will be
effected through the promotion of
about 5000 of the summer school pu-
pills who otherwise would have been
forced to. reb beat a semester because
Of deficiencies in several subjects dur
ing the regular school term.
Nearly 5000 pupils have enrolled in
the summer schools in an effort to
make up the subjects in which they
were deficient. About 5000 are ex-
pected to succeed. AS it costs the
District S51.11 a year, or about S2S.S5
a semester. for every pupil in the
public schools, the retardation of
5000 for half a yeara would mean an
expenditure of s144.450. The cost of
sending each pupil through the sum-
mer schools. however, amounts to
s2.26. The total cost of giving the in
tenslve summer course to 000 pupils
amounts to S11,300. whereas if the
vacation schools were not in exist
ence and these pupils did not have the
opportunity to make up the deficient
studies and were compelled to repeat
semestnr's work, it would cost the
District Sl44,250.
Saving Appreciab,y Higher.
With other statistics compiled from
year to year since the birth of the
vacation schools. the officials can
show that the saving is appreciabIy
greater than the mere deduction of
the operating cost of the summer
schools from the expense that would
be incurred in the event the pupils
now taking the special six weeks
course We're forced to repeat SemeS-
ter. For instance. Walter B. Patter-
son, director of Spe ciaI schools re-
ports that so per cent of the pupils
promoted in the summer schools,
make good in the new semester on
the other hand. many of the pupils at
tendlnS the summer schools are ex-
ceptionally brilliant. and as result
Of taking the special course they are
skipped semester, and therefore
save the District. a sizable sum each
year
Mr.. Patterson.points out that pu-
PHI VINO s"c0meS retardatiDn in the
summer school gets an impetus and
is seldom kept ba tx" again during
nls scholastic career. The chronic
retarder. however, soon gets dis
Soul ecu ant ledNeS SCnOOl.
Retardation Is Analysed.
A careful study of retardation
made by the school officials shows
in the first and fifth grades of the
elementary schools and the first year
In the senior high school. In the
first grade the retardation is due.
according to the authorities. to the
immaturity of the child for school
work. The parents are blamed for
entering their children in school be-
fore their minds are sufficiently ma
tured to absorb the work. Cnildren'S
diseases also share the blame for the
large percentage of retardation in
the first grade.
The great amount of retardation in
the fifth grade, it was explained. is
due largely to the fact that the
her time to development work. The
pupil is permitted to do his own
thinking and is thrown more on his
own mental resources than in the
lower grades. Thus the pupil that is
slow to get accustomed to the
changed conditions frequently fails.
A similar condition exists in the first
year of the senior high school, where
the pupil is introduced to the depart
mental system, with four, five and
None of these teachers has time to
give extra instructions to the slow
pupil and consequently he fails.
Summer School an Expo riment.
Established six years ago by Mis- ;
Alice Deal as an experiment. the sum-
mer schools have grown rapidly in
popularity, and this year eleven ad
ditional schools, making a total of
thirty-five. We're opened to provide
adequate accommodation for the
ever-increaSing enrolment. Miss
Deal organized the first high school
with a class of 100 pupils who paid
their tuition. The class was con-
Quoted at the Sidwell Friends School.
The following wear Congress granted
an appropriation for operating the
summer schools as an integral part of
the District public school system.