The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-06-11
PROTEST AGAINST
YEARS
Parents in Duane Doty School Dis
trict Say II Exacts Too Much
From Children.

There Is much dissatisfaction among
the parents out North Woodward who
send their children to the Duane Doty
school because Of the threeterm-a-
year system In vogue In that school,
and formal protest has been made to
Supt. Martindale against II. The par
ents claim that the system crowds
the children to the point OF nervous
to return to the two-term-a-year sys-
Of the Detroit pupil schools. with the
exception OF the Duane Doty and the
Pinggee.
I'VE have had ample opportunity
since the Duane Doty school opened
last September to test the merits
Of the three-term year and 1t has been
unqualifiedly a failure with the chill
dren of at least 20 families whose
names ] can give YOU" said one of
the mothers In the school district
which runs west of Woodward-ave. To
Hamilton-blvd. and north Of Hazel
wood-ave. to Highland park. Il
know there are many more parents
who object to II. but I can speak OF
this number from personal knowi-
edge. The three-term idea Is original
with Miss Cooper, principal OF the
school, believe. and IL has been a
pet theory Of hers for years. II means
that our children will reach the high
school at about IL years OF age. far
too young. Educators agree through
out the country, especially those de-
voted to high school work. that IA is
too young an age for children to take
up high school work. and that Is the
average age at present. In the Duane
Doty teachers and pupils crowd into
one year the work that formerly re-
Quired one and half years. Investi-
cation has proven that not more than
81 per cent pass the examinations and
1t il not unusual to find q child who
Is in the same class today In which
he or she started last September.
"The exceptionally bright child
makes the examination all right, but
the average and the below average.
are left hopelessly behind. They lose
interest in taking up the same work
tn second time. whereas II the work
had been given to them more slowly
and thoroughly In the first place they
would have absorbed and understood
with a decided chance to pass the
half-yearly examinations. In my own
case, | was compelled to take my lit
tie daughter out Of school this spring
owing to the nervous strain, and I
know of several other parents who
had to do the same thing. The teach
ers are obliged to do the same work
three times over In a year and the
result Is jlst as great q strain for
them In the majority Of cases as II IL
for the children, allowing of course,
for the difference In the physical en-
durance OF woman and child.
THE average child OF today Is
urged beyond his mental and physical
strength anyway. and, l believe, that
IL we are to save the race from the
insanity predicted the othed day by a
noted physician, We should endeavor
to reduce school'cramming' instead
OF adding to It. A childs education
should be slow and thorough, and 1t
Is anything but that In the Duane
Doty school.
II believe we should use every ef-
fort to stem the tide of nerve-wrecked,
over-wrought and specifically edu-
Gated American men and women, rush.
ing madly to early graves, by look
Ing carefully after the welfare OF our
children, and taking a firm stand
against the school and social system
that makes old men and women out
OF them before their childhood years
are half gone. Instead of pushing
them wildly through school at q three
term-a-year clip, We ought to try to
reduce the system to one term a year,
give them fewer hours in the school
room and more out OF doors, and build
up a sturdy race instead Of the acne
mic. nervous. dollhouse plants we see
on every SIDE"
The school end of the argument
maintains that the three-term-a-year
system is good for the bright child and
not harmful to the average or duh
child. and the star Of the Duane Doty
school point to the fact that Miss
Cooper and her assistant principal,
Miss Warner, instituted the three
term-a-year system first In the Bar
stow school, then In the Capron school,
and lately in the Doty. The system
was dropped, however. In both OF the
former schools after Miss Cooper was
transferred.
Supt. Martindale, who received the
committee of parents, promised to give
the matter his careful attention and
investigation, and assured the protest
ing committee that IL majority OF the
parents in the district objected to the
system he would have the school re-
turn to the twoterm plan. A canvass
of residents OF a number OF the streets
In the school district bore out the
statement of dissatisfaction voiced by
the mother who gave the above inter
view to The Times.