ATTACK ON SCHOOL TEACHERS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19759, 28 March 1934, Page 9

ATTACK ON SCHOOL TEACHERS

DOCTOR’S DISTURBING ALLEGATIONS SOME SCHOOL STAFFS LIVE IN ASYLUMS United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received March 27, 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK, March 26. The extraordinary and sensational charge that over 1500 of the 36,000 school teachers employed by the city are unbalanced emotionally or mentally, and that many are hopelessly insane, was made to-day by Dr Emil Altman, the chief medical examiner of the school system. An immediate investigation was ordered by the Superintendent of Schools, Mr Harold Campbell, who also asked for Dr. Altman’s data Dr Altman alleged that political influence, the negligence of principals, supervisors, district superintendents, and other higher officials, or mistaken kindness had kept in the service or restored to the payrolls teachers who were almost maniacs. He cited many instances, including one where, in spite of his report and the confirmation of two leading public psychiatrists, a mentally unbalanced teacher was retained. In another case the Teachers’ Retirement Board had ignored the advice of its own physicians on the reinstatement of a teacher, who was confined for years in insane asylums. Dr Altman capped his testimony by citing an instance of a group of teachers, who are resident in public insane asylums undergoing treatment for maniac depressive psychosis, but who nevertheless came in daily to their teaching work in New York City schools.