Evening star., 1909-05-07
MAY PLANT IT HERE
Wilson L. Gill Would EStab-
lish the "SchooI City,"
SUCCESS MET ELSEWHERE
Practical Teaching Of Self-Govern-
ment.
FIRST TRIED IN NEW YORK
Gratifying Results Attending the
Introduction Of the Plan Among
Children Of Foreign Birth.
SUCCESS MET ELSEWHERE
FIRST TRIED IN NEW YORK
BY WILLIAM +. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
1 Herald.
Mr.. Wilson L. Gill Of Columbus, Ohio,
1 has come to Washington for the purpose
of introducing what he calls "The School
City, into the public schools at Wash
ington. 1t is a sort Of civic appren-
ticeship to educate the future officials
and voters of our municipalities as to
the methods and responsibilities of gov
ernment. The plan has been earnestly
indorsed by ex-President Roosevelt. who
| says that nothing could offer higher
promise for the future Of our country
than an intelligent interest in the best
ideals Of citizenship, its privileges and
duties. among the students Of our public
schools" Col. Roosevelt saw an ex-
pertinent tried in the schools Of New
York city while he was commissioner of
] police, and had an opportunity to judge
for himself.
|. Gen. Leonard Wood introduced this
form of instruction into the schools of
/ Cuba while he was governor general. and
II was remarkably successful both in
! the normal schools and in the primary
schools at several places.
/ In 1895 the members of the Philadel-
phia board of public education author
| ized the experiment in one school: in
| 1903 they authorized it's introduction
into all of the public schools applying
for the privilege, and thirty or more
have availed themselves Of 1t.
/ Several schools in New York city have
/ it in operation, several in the city of
/ Chicago and other places with more or
| less effectiveness and precision, every
public school in Cuba and in the Ha-
/ waian Islands, a few in the Philippines
and several hundred places in the United
States. scattered all the way from Maine
to California. The system is not official
/ ly required. however. except in the Ha-
waiian Islands and in the town of May
nard. Mass.
Mr.. Gill has taken no active steps
/ toward the establishment of the school
| city" in Washington, but is in confer
| ence informally with the Commissioners
| of the District and others interested in
| the Improvement of the schools and the
| education of the children in the science
of citizenship.
DR.. Wood Indorses the Idea.
The Rev. DIR. Wood Of the Church of
the Covenant. who is familiar with Mr..
/ GilTs work in Philadelphia, indorses the
| scheme with earnestness, and says:
| The school city is the boIdest. the
strongest and the simplest attempt yet
made to solve the municipal problem.
The whole effort is in line with "A great
movement by which the seat of author
ity has been slowly shifted in the state
iIOln tie HlOHdTcH TO the people, ana III
the church from an ecclesiastical hier-
| aEchy to a book, and from a book to the
individual soul. In the school city
spontaneous activity replaces compulsory
obedience. The golden rule on which 1t
| Is founded is accepted as the best of
precepts. and the only reasonable and
practical rule of life for civilized human
beings. Here is at least a CLEAN of hope
for the municipalities Of the future"
| The idea is to organize the children of
q
under the direction of their teacher, to
make their own laws. to elect from among
themselves the officials to enforce them
and the judges of courts to punish viola
tions. All of the "school cities in a
building can be united to form school
state and elect governor. lieutenant
governor. secretary Of state. chief justice,
and other officials from among their own
| number, with commissioner of games
for the girls and another for the boys:
sanitary commissioners. policemen, and
all of the various officials required for a
municipality and state.
| The system may be simple or complex,
as the teacher desires. for the teacher
must act as a leader to give direction to
the action of the children, and see that
the proper discipline is maintained Courts
are organized by the children to try and
punish offenders. In several schools. Mr..
Gill tells me. where the experiment has
been tried. the courts were so thorough
that in few weeks they had very little
to do. The children soon become accus-
toned to self discipline, and avoid Offend
ing each other or violating the rules they
themselves have made. The school city,
is not system of punishments however,
but method of avoiding the necessity
of punishment by putting the children on
their honor and creating public opinion
among them which compels that honor to
be respected.
School Becomes a Democracy.
I'll to
archy, with the teacher an autocrat who
does not obtain his authority from the
consent of the governed. but the school
move the monarchical idea from the minds
of the children. and substitutes for it a
system of self-government. which does
not interfere with the legitimate processes
of education. and inspires in the minds of
the pupils a sense of responsibility. a re-
spect for the opinions of others, a mutual
confidence. and a knowledge of what
ought 20 be. and is best for them and an
experience in framing and executing laws.
The average young man of twenty-one
who goes to the polls for the first time has
very little comprehension Of his RESPONSE
bilities or his power and authority, and
usually follows the example or the leader
Iship of some stronger character of create.
experience. There is no school for the
education of citizens. After our young
men graduate from the high school or
the college they either go into business
or study a professionally, medicine. en-
gineering - and prepare themselves for
whatever vocation they have chosen; but
they have preparation for that most
important of all occupations. the science
Of citizenship. To provide a training while
the mind is most impressiOnabe the
school city assumes that the boy is to
become a citizen. and that the girl. when
she becomes woman, will have the in
terest of citizen If not the right to vote
and rule. 1t assumes that an essential
part of an education Is to familarZe the
minds of the young with the habit of exer
cising the duties of citizen. with the
methods of municipal administration. and
with the rights and limits of members OF
a community.
The officers of the 'school city, are
identical in name and duties with those
| of the actual city; the laws and regula-
tions are similar and the penalties for
their violation are punished in the same
manner. The citizens of the school city,
are taught the duties and the service of
the police department and the health de-
partment and the methods of procedure
| in the courts. They participate in their
little campaigns for the nomination of
canaldates, for the election of their Of
| ficers and their installation in official po-
| sitions.
Laws of a New York School.
The following is a summary of the laws
of ''school city in one of the schools
in New York:
Chapter /. The General City Law
| Do to others as you would have them do to