Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-07-07
Good Start

torial, Good start" had
been the father of an under
privileged child who required
experiences and extra in
struction in language to sup
ply the necessary background
for the use of standard Eng
lish, he couldn't have written
so complacently about the
refusal Of the House Appro-
priations Committee to allow
a paltry $4,000 so that the
District public schools could
qualify for a matching grant
from the Ford Foundation
for the Language Arts Pro-
gram.
If the writer of this edi-
torial had a child in the
public schools who required
the assistance and guidance
of a counselor to put him on
the right track so that he
could make the most of his
endowmentS, he wouldn't
have been so objective about
the refusal Of funds to in
crease the number Of coun-
sellers in the ele m e ntary
schools from the token of
eight positions now author
lied to IS, where 100 are
needed. and to tighten the
load Of overtaxed personnel
in the secondary schools.
However, II he is the IA
ther Of q normal or gifted
child In our public schools
he will not escape the con-
sequences Of the parsimony
practiced by the House APP
preparations Committee. A
news article in that same
issue Of your paper sounds 8
clear warning to all parents
Of children in regular classe:
in the elementary schools. Il
quotes DR.. Hansen as follows
1.-THE effect will be to keer
a large number of student.
in regular classes who should
be assigned to basic or spe-
cial education classes"
The shortage Of basic edu.
cation classes, because Of ar
insufficient number Of teach
ers, was already serious dur
ing the 1872 school veal
just closed. According to re-
port by DR.. Hansen in JAN
uary, 1862, there were 1922,
children who required in.
struction In small classes Of
10, who were assigned tt
regular classes, many o
them with 30 or more pupils
These regular classes, them.
selves, were too large. Tit
Board Of Education has es.
tabliShed as a standard 81
pupils per teacher in regular
classes in the elementar!
schools.
In professional circles it i
considered that a class Of 81
is the maximum size that cal
normally be handled by ;
competent teacher. The 80 t,
l ratio is, however, an aver
age for the system as
whole. AS a result, there ar
many classes of more thai
80, and a considerable mum
Der with fewer than 80. TIL
school administration ha
announced that on Octobe
10. 1861, the pupil-teache
ratio in regular classes
grades 1-6, was Bis to /. On
might suppose that the dit
ference Of is pupils per elias
was insignificant. But tn
fact of the matter Is tina
there were 47,013 pupils /
classes Of more than 80, on
Of 69.859 CTS per cent
pupils in regular classes i
those grades in the entir
system. According to tn
House Appropriations Com
mittee, the public sch o O.
were allowed enough teach
ers to take care of the eS
pected increase in sc h o O
population, and maintain tn
existing overall pupil-teach
er ratio. Thus, mentally RI
tarded and normal childre
alike will be handicapped i
learning by diversified classe
that include children VIII
should be receiving niue
more individual attention
These facts surely constitut
no sound foundation fc
complaisance.
This Is not my idea Of
good start.
Harry Merican,
Education Chairman,
Washington Chapter,
Americans for Demo
cratic Action.
Editors Note: Mr.. Mel
lean grossly misrepresen'
the editorial in question.
which the term good start
referred to the fact that tt
great majority Of the reques
in the $3o0-million budg'
submitted by the Commi