New-York tribune., 1902-07-08
THE SUMNER SCHOOLS.

Not many days ago the public schools were
closing their years work and the colleges and
universities were holding their commencement
exercises. Yet yesterday there was wide
spread reopening from kindergarten to unlver'
sity. Not many years ago the summer schooI'
was identified in the public mind, and not IN
accurately, with an overgrown combination of
camp meeting and picnic To-day some of the
foremost universities in the land devote serious
attention to such enterprises The movement
which Harvard, Chicago and New-York uniyer-
sites auspiciously started years ago has grown
steadily, not only in those institutions but
through the adoption of it by others, until 1t is
to-day a well recognized department of true
college and university work. Now that Colum-
bia has taken 1t up, too, this city enjoys the
probably unique distinction of being the seat or
two university summer schools. Not many
years ago the experiment of a few vacation
schools" was made in this city at private ex-
pense Yesterday scores of such schools and
Fairgrounds were opened a part of the regu-
lar work of the Board of Education, with an
initial enrolment of more than fifty thousand
pupils-another record in which New-York is
doubtless supreme. In truth, the summer
school has successfully arrived.
It is we'll that IT should be There seems
to be no reason why the which in the
physical world is that of greatest vital activity,
energy and growth should not also be In the in
tellectual world a time of progress. Seeing
that as a rule only few hours day, for only
five days a week, are given to study, there is
little danger that continuation of such work
through twelve months in the year will dis
astrously overtax the mind If exercise and
development of the body are continuous, similar
culture of the mind, judiciously directed may
well be continuous also. So much is to be said
of all. both children and adults who attend the
summer schools after also attending school dur
ing the regular academic year" But there are
others who are unable to attend school save in
the summer. and TO them the summer schools
are of inestimable value. Teachers are thus
enabled 10 increase their efficiency, college and
university students are enabled to shorten the
total span of their academic careers and pro-
fessonal men are advanced in proficiency of
practice. AS for the multitude of children of
the poor who throng the public schools in sum-
mer, apart from the much that they undoubted-
ly learn in their classes, they far better off
in the clean. cool schoolhouses than in the hot
and reeking streets.
The development Of summer schools has been
one of the most marked features of educational
progress in the last dozen years. We may re-
gard it as by no means the least hopeful. That
it has reached its height is not for moment to
York University opened its summer school, and
three years ago that Columbia did likewise.
Both those institutions have been steadily grow
ing and promise continued growth Even more
marked, as we have indicated, has been the
growth of the summer public schools. Each
year some new feature added to the sys-
tenn. This summer, for example, II is expected
that public school buildings will be opened on
Sundays for popular educational purposes some
what in line with the successful free lecture
system. This radical new departure was dis
cussed in these columns some weeks ago in con-
nection with the proposal Of it by DR.. LeipZiger.
It is reported that there is entire unanimity in
its favor in the committee of the Board of Edl-
cation TO which the matter referred, and it
is probable that there will be at least a strong
preponderance Of public sentiment in favor of
il. Such use of the schoolhouses will be made
not only in summer but the year round, so that
II cannot be regarded strictly part of the
summer school system. Yet it is closely re-
lated to the latter, in that it is simply further
application of the fundamental principle of the
summer school, TO wit, that the educational
plant shall not be left to stand idle and un-
profitable but shall be utilized for the good of
the people all the time