The Washington times., 1902-08-23
CHILDREN TO GOVERN
THEMSELVES IN SCHOOL
Bureau of Education to Re-
port on the Subject.
LIKE THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC
Plan Successfully Tried in Hyde Park
School, Chicago-Scheme Makes Pu-
pills Take Active Interest in Good
Orde-.

! O-de-.
| The forthcoming annual report OF the
! Bureau of Education will contain quite
lengthy treatise upon government,
| for children in schools. The Junior Re-
public has formulated number of idea.
| for the self-gover1nent of children. and
these ideas are being applied to the
wider field of ;he schools
Pref. C. W. French has described the
practical working of the plan as adopted
ir the Hyde Park School of Chicago, OF
which he is one CT the instructors
/ In the main building of the school
in which the experiment is being tried
he says, more than 1000 pupils. youna
men and women. ranging from thirteen
to twenty-one years of age, are seate:
| in sixteen rooms. including a large as
semb!y hall. THE remaining 400. who
are seated in another building have no,
as yet been included in the new sys-
! TEN.
Changes in Details.
After n short trial some changes
were found desirable in the details of
the plan which is now in operation, as
follows: Each room elects in regular
| form representative TO body, which
is partly legislative and partly execu-
tive in its functions, called the senate
This body elects a president and secre.
tlry. appoints the necessary committees
and assumes control of the order in the
halls and of the care OF the furniture
and building. II formulates code of
laws and appoints a corps OF tTibunes
TO carry them out. These laws are read
TO the students in each room, and care
fully explained SO that the reasons for
their adoption and the methods OF their
enforcement are clearly understood. and
then are posted in conspicuous places
Whenever classes are passing through
the halls the tribunes are stationed in
all the strategic points throughout the
building to see that the rules are OBJ
served.
Court of Three Judges.
The senate also appoints court of
three judges. to whom all cases OF law
breaking gre reported, and before whom
the more serious ones are tried. with
the customary procedure OF prosecution
and defense. The Judges. very wisely
make their administration reformatory
rather than punitive in its purposes. and
seldom find 1t necessary to infict pen
alt-
This, in brief. is the outline of the
organization. which is OF interest only
because OF the results which it produces.
1t will be noticed that this scheme of
government is distinctly a representa-
tive one. and that each pupil can justly
feel that he is an integral part of the
system. Moreover, the whole body OF
the students. with but few exceptions
are intensely loyal to the idea. They
take pride in the recognition of their
rights. and they also feel that they are
individually responsible for the welfare
and the good name of the school
Forced Submission Passing Away.
"As a result of this the old spirit of
forced submission to authority is passing
away. and in its place is coming a vol
untary submission to the general rules
of good behavior as embodied in the laws
which they themselves have made and
adopted; and it is especially interesting
TO observe that these laws are stricter
than these under which they lived dur
ing the old regime.
Whep the experiment was begun the
senate was told explicitly that for two
months the designated functions of the
school would be put unreservedly into
their hands, and that neither principal
nor teacher would interfere with their
administration, either TO hinder or 10
help. This announcement was made
with scme hesitation, but it was deter
mined to give them an sDsoluJely fair
trial. and the result demonstrated the
wisdom of the position.
Results Far Reaching.
The results already manifest are
many and far-reaching. They penetrate
every function of school life and inlu-
ence all its relations. There is better
spirit displayed throughout the school.
and 1t is the general verdict OF the
teachers that pever before has the con-
troll Of the class rooms been so easy,
and il is certain that the number of
cases Of discipline referred to the prln-
cipai has materially decreased.
Two important results are evident
even " tHt tdSudl OtSeTNeT- Inc nrSt Is
that excellent order is maintained in the
halls without any interposition on the
part c. either principal or teachers
From 800 to 500 students are required
to change their rooms a. the end OF
each period and frequently to go from
the first TO the second floor and the re-
verse. At every turn and or each OF
the landings stands a serious and dig
nihed boy or girl, and the slightest dis
order is promptly but courteously
checked. There is no unseemly haste,
no conversation or laughter. but each
student goes quietly and promptly TO his
appointed room. and the whole change
is made in four minutes or less
E;-o