Striking Boston Students Confront School Official

A Boston school official told a group of striking high school students yesterday that the Boston School Committee is making concerted efforts to hire more black teachers.

Robert V. McCabe, assistant deputy Superintendent of Schools, met with students representing the city's 16 high schools Wednesday and told them "We can't get more black teachers because there are just too few of them."

Poor Facilities

McCabe also admitted that Boston school facilities are poor. "Between 1955 and 1968 we only built two schools. The building program has lagged behind-you can't deny that," he said.

Regarding complaints about teachers harassing black students, McCabe conceded that some of the charges are true but questioned the extent of the harassment.

The meeting with McCabe followed a rally of about 500 students at City Hall Plaza which was jointly sponsored by the Black Students Federation (BSF) and the Student Mobilization Committee (SMC).

Leon Rock of BSF and Robert Cahalan of SMC-the principal speakers at the rally-called for the continuation of the two-week-old student boycott and for the immediate recognition of BSF demands for more black teachers and black studies courses, an end to harassment of black students, and amnesty for striking students.

The rally followed a stormy meeting between the Boston School Committee and almost 700 students Tuesday night in Faneuil Hall. At the meeting, the School Committee passed six motions aimed at satisfying student demands, but student leaders termed the concessions unacceptable.

Cahalan called yesterday's activities a success because "we showed the School Committee and the Mayor that the schools have broad-based support, whether white or black." Another rally has been scheduled for City Hall at 2 p. m. Saturday.