OVERCROWDED SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17145, 26 April 1919, Page 11

OVERCROWDED SCHOOLS.

I Sir,—lt was with great appreciation that I read the timely and admirable article by Mr. F. C. Brew on " Overcrowded Schools." The child of to-day . is the citisen of to-morrow, and education is about the best investment and insurance that the State can make. It is » good ! investment because real education makes good citizens, and it is an insurance because if we have good citizens we will I need less reformatories, prisons, and even I hospitals. The writer of the article em- , phasises two things, lack of teachers and absence of adequate accommodation for the scholars. It is indeed impossible vfor one teacher to properly deal with four or five score children. Under such conditions individual attention is almost impossible. The latent abilities of many a child passes unnoticed and therefore undeveloped, while perhaps one who needs just a little special care suffers because the over-worked teacher cannot give the necessary attention. With reference to lack of accommodation many of the city schools suffer notoriously in this respect. In the classroom the atmosphere is unhealthy and heavy. In the playground games and useful exercises are much restricted and hampered because of the congestion that prevails. Someone has said that British character is mnde on the playground of. the schools, and we all know that a : healthy body is the foundation of a; healthy mind. Let us see that the coming ' generation gets a chance and that the' evils of over-crowding are abolished. With the new school committees taking office the time is now opportune to press these! reforms. F. C. Brookbanks. Mount Eden.