Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-26
Conditions in the Schools.

Conditions In the Schools.
Congestion and other problems con-
fronting Washington's schools are often
described by statistics and large arrays
| of impressive figures that mean much
to the expert, but leave the layman cold.
| For that reason the series of arJlcles,
which begins elsewhere in today's Star,
describing in detail the conditions found
in each Of the school divisions and in
each of the schools, should prove in
teresting to parents with children in
school and to others who take natural
interest in the vitality important public
school system. While the articles nat
urally emphasiEe the defects and OBJ
vious faults in school facilities that
make themselves apparent to the visitor.
there has been no attempt to paint the
school system needlesSly black, nor to
dramatic conditions in manner that
would unfairly minimize the admittedly
praiseworthy features. such as fine, new
buildings, modern equipment and the
efforts OF the school personnel to make
ends meet and accomplish as much as
possible with the means at hand. Nor
have the articles attempted to Tex
pose" conditions. The conditions are
there, for any to see. and have existed
too long. .,.
The striking fact in any survey of
the school system as whole lies in the
matter of sharp contrasts. Brand
new buildings for some children, worn
and ancient structures for others; I'M
wieldy classes and part-time classes in
less in others.
If IS pupils to the class Is accepted
, as the desirable educational maximum, 1t
is found that there are about 721 classes
in the schools that exceed that maxi
mum.
If 20, the desirable maximum under
conditions in washington, is accepted
as the standard. it is found that s23
classes are above 20. while In 10 there
are SO or more pupils.
But it also Is to be remembered that
there are about 400 classes that come
within the desirable limit OF IS pupils.
Ones thoughts, however, are not for
the pupils in classes Of IS, but for the
pupils in classes of As and above. The
parents Of children in these overcrowded
classes are not getting what they pay
for from the schools.
In washington one can ind brand
new school buildings, with auditoriunas,
Fairgrounds and the latest and best
school furniture available for the stu
dents. But one may also and Is In
the johnson School, some students
using folding bridge tables in lieu Of
desks-tabIes, by the way, that are fur
nished by the parents. There are 40
pupils in this building, and there are
SAT desks and chair sets.
One may find new buildings, ade-
quately heated by steam. But one also
may md old buildings, sooty and dirty
as q result Of ancient hot-air systems
that do not always function, and one
may also ind permanent buildings still
being heated by tall, iron stoves. Two
Of the washington schools lack run
ming water and sewerage connections
and are not even provided with septic
tanks for open toilets. Other old
buildings in use provide play rooms
for the pupils in vault-like Easements.
In several schools the students are not
allowed to use the play room, and must
eat their lunches In the class rooms
during recess on rainy days.
The same contrast exists in play
ground facilities. A few schools lack
all playground space and turn the chill
dren into the streets for recess. In the
majority Of cases the streets are roped
on and closed to trafic during the re-
cess. Some Fairgrounds are so poorly
surfaced or drained that they cannot
be used after a rain. In other cases
one finds fine surfaced play yards
equipped with recreational devices.
There are buildings still in use that
were condemned as unft as far back
as 1908.
Such conditions, it may be said, are
merely typical of q growing city that
developed faster than the provision Of
schools for its children. 1t is probable
that most Of the faults can be readily
explained. But whether or not they
are explained, they remain as evidences
Of shortcomings that must be remedieo
and that justify and demand . contin.
ued program of generous appropriation
to wipe out evils that do exist.