Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-30
Extraordinary Public Education.

Several speakers at the sessions of the
eleventh conference of the Eastern Pub
lie Education Associations have dwelt on
the advantage of vacation schools. free
lectures and the use of public school
buildings beyond the usual school hours.
Mrs John NJ. Gitterman. the president
has expressed herself as favOring vacation
schools and voiced regret that school
houses are not put to some public edu-
cational purpose not only during the va
cation months but in the afternoon and
evening during school term after the
dismissal of the regular classes. DIR.
KLEIN Of the bureau of education pointed
to the German system of giving free lee
lures in schoolhouses. and Mrs. Charles
c. Darwin urged the efficacy of free lee
lures as a means of bringing the very
poor and mentally needy in touch with
the ideas of well informed men and wom-
en-. These thoughts have long been rev
volved in good minds and the vacation
school, the night school and the free lee
ture have produced satisfactory results
when instituted. The ideas. though sound.
are not so applicable to the situation in
Washington as in those congested cities
where much dire poverty exists. There
is relatively little poverty in Washington.
There is a good deal (but not as much as
sometimes alleged) of illteracy and igno-
rance Illiteracy is largely confined to the
older generation. By reason of the public
school there will be exceedingly little
iliteracy among either the colored or the
white population when the children of
today grow up
Rational child labor laws and compul-
sorry school attendance in some cities
would cover the necessity for vacation
schools For the average child the study
term is long enough. The school routine
calls for enough study hours. and with
the normal child vacation may be as prof
itab1y spent in outdoor play as at books.
4 great public work could be done
through the medium of free lectures II
the lecturers and the subjects were we'll
chosen. If the people needing instruction
could be assembled in the schoolhouses
and entertained and instructed 1t would
contribute to the elevation of society. 1t
is easy to believe that free lectures on
hygiene and kindred subjects would pro-
mote the welfare of people who are igno-
rant and careless in the matter of the air
they breathe the water they drink and
the food they eat.
The teaching of hygiene in the school is
another of the subjects which has en-
gagged the conference. The school. 1t has
been pointed out should be potent In ere
ating in the children habits that conduce
to health. The influence Of the school in
the matter of hygiene may be exerted d.
rectly on the child and indirectly on the
home from which the child comes. In
this conference Of educators emphasis has
been laid on the good of organized play.
physical training. the school garden. vocal
music and reading The Washington
schools have successfully experimental
with organized play and the school garden.
and in the opinion of local authorities the
results have been salutary. More and
more the public school is undertaking the
direction of the whole child instead OF
concerning itself only with the mental
side.
The themes under discussion by the
education associations are big, ana
gratifying results should follow.