Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-06-16
1877 Teachers
AreSoughtfO for
Basic Work
D. c. Asks Funds
For Instruction of
Slow o0Pnorc
BY DAVID BREASTED
Star staff Writer

Help for a major District
school problem - $500 slow
learners-hangs in the balance
in Congress on a request for
1877 basic" class teachers.
Teachers are needed now to
help 1000 students who should
be in basic classes. The prob
lem is expected to intensity with
an increase of more than 1,400
accidentally slow or mentally
retarded pupils in the next two
years.
A summation of the basic
pupil problem was contained in
report submitted to a school
board committee yesterday. The
report stressed the urgency of
more basic classes throughout
the school system in elementary
and junior high schools, more
pupil counseling personnel and
better continuity for basic
pupils between school levels.
Impede Regular Glasses
School officials, including
Supt. Carl F. Hansen, regard
low achievement pupils as an
impeachment to education
throughout the system. They
believe that slow learners must
be educated within the limits of
their abilities, but should be
placed into more of the special
classes designed for them.
DR.. Hansen said the request
before Congress should just
about take care of the prob
lem" for temporary alienation
The request calls for so ele-
mentary teachers for basic
classrooms and 81 for the SWELL
ing junior high school popula-
ton.
DR.. Irene c. Hypps, assistant |
superintendent in charge of pu-
pill appraisal, said there are
about l 500 elementary and sec
ondary pupils who have been
referred for psychological ex-
animation and placement in
basic classes as of the close of
the week. But she said these
represent pupils whom staff
limitations have kept from ade-
quate attention.
15% of Enrolment
DR.. Hypps' report said there
are 2.647 elementary school pu-
pills in special basic education
classes, but that this does not
include pupils on waiting lists.
There are 1000 junior high
school basic track students, or
is per cent of the enrolment.
There are 2,100 senior high
school students, or 16 per cent
of enrolment, in basic classes, /
according to the report.
The recommended pupil
teacher ratio in basic classes is
18-to-1, but elementary classes
ranged as high as 36-to-1,
which school officials regard
as a Stagnant situation. In
Junior high school basic classes,
1913 classes had enrollments
above 10, and % had more than
80 pupils per class.
1t has been estimated that
as many as one out Of six
junior high school students is
in or belongs in basic education
classes. DR.. Hypps said that the
number of pupils on the wait
ing list is smaller than last
years, but only because her de-
partment has concentrated on
basics to the sacrifice of other
phases of counseling and pSy-
Geological services.
Mrs. Louise Steele urged yes
terday that small remedial
classes separate accidentally
from mentally retarded stu
dents. DR.. Hansen, however,
said that the present program
should allow sufficient flexibil-
ity to do this. and the present |
budget limitations should con-
tinue as the framework for
meeting the problem.
There are about $500 "slow
learners" over 16 years of age,
not seriously retarded academ-
ically, who are in junior and
senior high schools, the report
said.
More than so per cent of
basic class teachers. double the
System-wide percentage, were
temporary teachers
In other business yesterday,
school board committees heard
James A. BlaSer, of the District
Department of Buildings and
Grounds, defend the length of
time required to complete new
school buildings. Mr.. Blaser
said the time required for COM
plotting school buildings was in
some cases better than in sur
rounding Jurisdictions, and
often shorter than that re-
lquired for General Service Ad-
buildings.