Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-13
NEW SORT OF COUNTRY SCHOOL.
The Pupils Are Children From tho
Sums of Manchester, England.
From Macmillsn's.

FROM Macmillsn's.
Sending Stun children into the country
to school is the latest experiment in So
GEOLOGY. Manchester, England is the scene
lhat is, the children are from Manchester;
the school is sixteen miles distant. II ia
the only one of its kind in the world.
The grounds comprise five acres The
building has a school room for two classes
of forty pupils each; It has two dormItories.
each containing forty single beds it con-
tains also a dining room, kitchen. rooms
for the teachers and the permanent staff
and covered play shed A large garden.
greenhouse. apiary and playing field are
included in the arrangements.
The life is very systematic. The school
hours are almost the same in the city.
from 3 to II and from . to AGO. In the
morning the lessons are along ordinary
lines. The afternoon is devoted to nature
study and many of the lessons are given
Opening in April. the school continues
into October. Batches Of eighty boys and
girls come alternately and stay a fort
night. Each set of forty or eighty is drawn
from one school, and their own teacher
comes with them. The presence of this
particular teacher is vital principle of
the scheme. influencing the instruction.
discipline and happiness Of the children.
Till now about eight hundred have been
received each season; but tents for an add
ditional eighty have been set up. and a
permanent uOrlnltOTN LOT iOflN Is ABOUT 10
be built. These developments are expected
to reduce the cost per head. as the same
permanent staff will probably suffice.
The buildings cost G2.2Oo, the furnishing
about G400. and another 5000 was eXpend-
ed on the garden and grounds. Thus G.. 500
covered the initial outlay. Current expenses
are light.
The matron and her assistant two or
three maids and the gardener and his as
sistant form the permanent staff. Mr. Dale.
the gardener. helps with the teaching, but
with this exception the permanent stan iS
responsible for the domestic side only. Both
boys and girls share the domestic work,
washing up. making beds and so forth.
Upon staff, food and incidentals the COM
mittee expends at present rather over $500
a year OF this $3.50 is raised by subscrip-
ton and donation; the rest comes from the
parents of the children and their friends.
Seven shillings is paid by the parents or
friends for each child. and deducting one
shilling of tAis for the railway fare, the re-
mainder makes up the ESQ or EGO deficu.
Here appears a difficulty OF the com
mittee's scheme Seven shillings is a small
sum to secure so much. but to the very
cases that need the visit most even this
small sum is apt to be bar. and means
have been adopted to obviate it partially.
An early notice is given to each school OF
its selection and the date Of the Visit. ana
a special banking account is at once opened
at the school for any child to save its pen
mics toward the cost. Teachers tell OF he
roic efforts 20 earn the necessary sum; 9th
er help for the very poor Is forthcoming
from the teachers and from parents OF the
better class of scholars. a minimum KIT Is
also required. and, an important proNlso'
every child before it is accepted is exam
ined nv the medical officer and certined as
free from infectious disease or other dis
abilities.