Evening star., 1951-05-17

| jumped ~ per cent from $1 .ZU
a unit to $2.04. Art paper has
increased from 38 cents to 50
cents, a Jump of 81 per cent.
administration building-the cos
to the Government would be neg
Iligible. he pointed out. In addi
Ition. such a move would place bacl
on the tax rolls of the Distric
considerable valuable property.
Other recommendations mad,
by DR.. Corning follow:
A psychiatric clinic for children
should be established as soon a.
possible. Studies are under way t.
plan such a clinic. which woule
treat children suspected of need
ing such help before the troubl,
gets too advanced.
Teacher recruitment should bt
pushed and examination center,
set up in various parts of tn,
country to spur the search for goot
teachers. At present, applicants
must come to Washington to tax,
examinations for jobs with the re.
suit that few do if they happen tt
live at some distance.
Would Limit Glass Sizes.
Glass sizes should be limited b,
board rules. The present STANDARD
of 36 pupils in the elementar,
schools to one teacher is too high
and since a ratio is an average
many classes are larger than 81
pupils to one teacher. A NOR,
effective procedure would be tt
limit the size of a class.
Library services should be ex.
tended to the junior high ane
elementary schools. Junior high,
have libraries, or rooms converted
to libraries, but no librarians, al.
though they do get money fol
books. Elementary schools do no
get library allowance.
Adult education should be ex.
panded.
The vocational training program
should be expanded to provid.
training in all the skills required
for employment in the District.
Kindergartens for Handicapped
children should be established
Special classes for slow-learnins
pupils also should be set up. Botf
must wait until classroom spac,
is available.
Health education and the health
program should be improved
Studies are underway to see how
this should be done.
Junior ROTC for Cadets.
The High School Cadet Corp
should become part Of the JUNO,
ROTC. The board already ha.
authorized DR.. Corning to negoti,
ate with the Army to see If thii
can be done.
The in-service training program
for teachers should be expanded
to include training for othel
school employees also. Plans are
being drawn now to give course.
for cafeteria managers and work.
ers, for the clerical workers anc
for the custodial force.
Children in the elementary
schools should have hot lunches
available to them. Only secondary
schools now have cafeterias.
plan to provide hot food for the
grade schools, using centrally 10.
Gated kitchens and delivery serv.
ice, should be explored. This coulc
be done after the cafeterias are
centralized under a food director
as provided in legislation now be.
fore Congress.
In summing up the problems
faced by his administration. DR.
Corning pointed out that since
1945 19 new elementary schools
or additions to buildings and {
new junior high schools or addi-
tions have been added to the
school facilities. This provided
additional space for 1882 grade
school pupils and 1896 junior
high students.
In addition there are appro.
priations now on hand for IL new
buildings or additions, some oi
which are under construction.
$4,000 Children Enrolled.
The present school enrolment
totals $4,000 children plus 1000
persons in the adult program. o.
these. $4,000 are in grade school
$4,000 in secondary schools anc
1,100 in teachers colleges.
There are 5000 more children
in elementary schools today thar
there were in 1945, DR.. Corning
said. Junior high school enroll.
ment has remained approximate!
the same as in 1945, while tn,
number of high school student
had dropped $500 since 1945, :
Nationwide trend. he added.
The school system has 3,41;
teachers, counselors and librar.
|ians, ISL more than in 1945, ht
continued.
Concerning improvement in tn,
curriculum of the schools, DR.
Corning cited many changes tina
had been made in the courses of.
fered. He said that renewed EN-.
phasis was being given to thu
fundamentals reading. writing
and arithmetic-with excellent
results.
Social studies, science and bust.
ness education have been revised