Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-21
STUDENT CONTROL
"A BIG SUCCESS
HIGH SCHOOL EASILY HANDLED
BY SCHOLARS
SeIf-Government Committee Takes
Charge of Polytechnic While All
Teachers Are Absent - No
Disorder, Work Done

Self-government reigned supreme yes
terday at the Polytechnic high school
while every member of the faculty took
a vacation. Principal John Fl. Francis
stated that the entire affair was very sue
cessful and that the work was carried on
by the students just the same as If the
full force of teachers was present.
Up to the hour of 8 o'clock in the after
noon there was not a single member of
the faculty to be seen on the school
grounds. The self-government committee
too entire charge of the situation. A
representative was stationed in each room
who saw that the regular course was fol-
lowed by the students in their work. On
Tuesday morning the committee was told
of the intention of the faculty and prep
arations were made and plans suggested
at that time which the committee carried
out to the very letter yesterday.
AT o'clock the bells sounded and in
every class room the roll was taken by
a student appointed by the representa-
tive of the self-government committee in
that room. Every student answered re-
spectfully when his name was called
after which each class was dismissed to
go into their study classes.
Committee in Charge
In each of the recitation rooms MEM
Der of the committee was present to pre-
serve order. and who presided over the
rooom until student was nominated and
elected to teach the class. The person
thus elected went to the front and took
the teachers seat. He Immediately set
the class to work on the lesson for the
day. hearing the recitations and having
pupils do their work on the blackboard.
None dared dispute with the teacher, for
tho slightest disturbance would bring a
reprkmand from the committeeman, who
always succeeded in quieting the room.
In the wood shop and mechanical
drawing room the students got their
tools and went to work at their tasks
without the slightest hesitation. In some
of these classes the students even took
their roll and went to work without the
assistance of the committee at all.
At all periods of the day the girls could
be found in the cooking and sewing
rooms working away with a will. In one
of the classes where the situatino was
felt a little more keenly than in the
other room was motto written in large
letters on the blackboard "What is
school without teacher?"
4 s one passed the chemistry room
strong odor of carbon disulphate indicated
that the pupils there were not idle. While
the classes were in session no student
was allowed in the halls and passage
ways, and in all parts of the building
general good order reigned most of the
time.
At the noon hour the students quietly
dismissed themselves and went to lunch.
BY o'clock the young people seemed
reconciled to their fate and the roll cali
for the afternoon was answered with
out demur. The whole of the afternoon
passed without blot to mar the good
record Of the morning.
Faculty Pleased
At o'clock Mr.. Francis and a number
of the teachers returned. The self-gov-
ernment reported to him that they had
had very little trouble and that they
felt they could handle the school again
at any time.
Referring to the matter Mr.. Francis
said: "The experiment was tried for two
purposes-first, to give the teachers a
visiting day and second to see If our
self-government committee was as capa-
Bile as we considered it to be- l believe
that the act fully demonstrated the en-
tire success of student control"