Evening star., 1902-03-01
THE SCHOOL CITY
How the Method Has Pro-
gressed in Cuba.
WILSON L. GILL TALKS
THE SUPERVISOR OF MORAL AND
CIVIC TRAINING.
He is Enthusiastic Over the Develop
ment of the Youth in the
Island.
WILSON L. GILL TALKS

Mr.. Wilson L. Gill. supervisor OF moral
and civic training for the Island OF Cuba.
is in the city, primarily on leave OF alb
sence and incidentally to attend confer
enCe of number of well-known men inter-
ested in educational affairs, among whom
is DR.. David McAllister of Pittsburg, who
has just returned from investigating
tour of Cuba for the National Reform AS
sociaton. of which he Is a member.
Mr.. Gill will also call on President Roose-
welt and in person report on the conditions
existing in Cuba. He has been supervisor
for more than year and a half. having re-
celved his appointment from General Leon
ard Wood and with the consent and ap-
proval of the late President Mckinley.
General Wood has indorsed the methods
introduced by Mr.. Gill in earnest ter,ns
and is strong in the belief that what is
known as the school city, is an educa-
tional innovation, based on sound logical
principles. susceptible of easy practical ap-
plication in any school under wise super
vision, and has as its most laudable pur:
pose the betterment of free governmental
systems by the training of citizens in their
duties as such while they are yet children.
Object Of the Method.
"It is a method" Mr.. Gill said to an
Evening Star reporter today, "the primary
object of which is the molding Of private
and civic character during the susceptible
period Of childhood and early youth. A
secondary result a mere by-product of the
method. however, is the mutual assistance
given the teacher by saving him many Of
the worries and trials of school govern
ment by discipline enforced by himself,
| which is replaced by the free popular gov
errment established and enforced by the
children themselves.
1T has the additional attractive feature
| that no other school work is sacrificed by
| its Introduction, since every moment de-
voted to 1t is outside of the regular school
hours. excepting perhaps the hour needed
| in the first organization of the school city,
1t is not therefore. a question OF its COM
parative value, but one of absolute value.
1t is either good or 1T Is bad If 1t is good,
nothing is lost by adopting it and much
may be gained. In fact. it is found by ex-
perience that a child who is citizen Of
his own little school republic seems to un-
d4rStand and appreciate the object of his
school far better than the same child did
when he was subject Of monarchical school
government
THUS the school city, while not en-
croaching on any Of the school exercises,
seems to add Intelligence and zest to all of
them. If the object of our public schools
Is to train men for life. In the broadest
sense Of the word, the schools are most
certainly failing 20 accomplish the purpose
for which they are intended, SO long as
boys and girls are passing out Of their
doors with no well-formed ideas Of their
duties as cltlzenS 10 their country ana to
each other.
Defect of Public Schools.
There Is no gainsaying that this lack
OF development Of the conscientious, moral
and civic sides Of the boy and the lack Of
training In his most rudimentary duties as
a citizen is one Of the great defects OF the
modern public schools. On all sides the
boy hears ungrammatical language or sees
well-established hygienic principles abused: :
but in the school room he is repeatedly
warned that these things are wrong and is
told what Is right. But he may daily see
or suffer the pernicious results of a cor
rupt government, with no one to point out
to him that it is wrong and the way in
which It may be righted. He lives In
democratic country. under a free flag,
where he Is told that the will Of the people
Is supreme; but in the school room he Is
surrounded by the influences Of monarchy.
where authority is welded with the rod
and the will Of the teacher Is supreme
The impressions made upon the mind
OF the child by constant association are
in an atmosphere Of republicanism. feels
| that he has certain duties toward his play
| mates and certain rights in his relations
with them and that he Is a part of the
| the foundations will have been laid for a
good citizen when this boy OF today be-
comes the man of tomorrow"
1t IS the purpose Of the ''school city" to
accomplish this 1t Is a comparatively new
idea Mr.. Gill is its author. He organized
| the first school city, in New York in
1897. Since then 1t has been greatly de-
veloped in the United States and has spread
to Europe. Cuba Is the first state that
has regularly adopted It as an essential
part Of its public training.
Similar to Junior Republic.
In the fall OF 1900 General Wood secured
the services Of Mr.. Gill to introduce the
method. which is similar to the Junior re-
public. into the schools Of Cuba. Mr. Gill
Immediately prepared a "school city, char
ter. which was published in May Of 1901.
AS the object Is to teach principles and
practices Of citizenship and free govern
ment rather than any particular form Of
government, the charter was made to serve
this purpose and was not modelled after
that Of any particular city. The actual
work Of the organization in Cuba was be-
gun In the city OF Havana on May 49, when
six school cities were organized. It was
decided that the success which had at
tended the first practical application Of the
| method warranted it's extension to all of
the principal cities of the island and plans
have been made to do this the coming
school year.
Mr.. Gill is enthusiastic over the tangible
results obtained in trying to inculcate into
the minds of the Cuban children the i'm
portance Of recognizing themselves az part
Of the government. He says in every
uybo tba ~,