New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-14
SEVERE TOWARD SCHOOLS
Nine Months investigation Of
Committee Settled in Substance.
GALL NIGHT COURSES FARCE
Vocational Studies and Smaller
Board of Education Chief
Recommendations.

~. re,ort on New York's public school
-, by the committee headed by Pro-
- PAUL II. Hanus, of Harvard, which
- heen Investigating the schools OF this
a., for the last nine months, has reached
- ,o,nt where the criticisms and recon-
.5o,ions TO he made are pretty well set
- an substance, at least, If not In form.
:. q boned that the report will be ready
-. presented in It's final form by July l.
:. C. understood that the feature Of the
nooI system that will come IN for the
ct severe criticism will be the night
.chools AS at present conducted the re-
w.. ill saw. the night schools are farce.
Old rnep and little boys sit side by side IN
A.. class rooms and receive the same In
,,ruction, which, while II may be suitable
,o- the little boys. is not at all suitable for
49,. ,,en or calculated TO help them IN their
DAVIS work.
The report will say. IL is understood, that
-. NIGHT schools should not be used as an
asiyrct 10 the day schools to provide seats
,or The children who are now on part time
IN tbe day schools, but should be practical
continuation schools. with curriculum oe-
s;gned 10 give more advanced education to
..e older BOYS and men who want studies
,avond those they have taken up in the
Urinary schools TO help them and advance
.n.r, in their daily work. It Will be rec
.,,c,ended that latitude should be allowed
tbe principals of the night schools 10 make
rn The curriculum in accordance with the
rsA6s Of the pupils.
More Latitude for All Principals.
rbA same recommendation will be made
,- regard TO the principals or the Gay
..,ools, The report, II is understood, VIII
saw that under the present system the
--ir.iraIs and superintendent OF schools
have Gar too much clerical work TO do. They
,horlS he relieved Of the clerical work IN
orsA- 70 give their time and attention 70
-. ,,,,i1s and 10 aiding and advising the
.e.cters II will also call particular atten-
ton 70 the need of allowing more Iau'uue
-, initiative to the principals in adapting
.hs curriculum 20 the requirements vi 'n.
,uniis There should not be hard and
fast curriculum for all the eIelen'dI'
.cboo1s In the city. it VIII ray. but the par
.icplar needs Of the section or the clts III
which the school IS situated ana run
which il draws its pupils should be studieu
and the curriculum OF each school maze up
Nth regard to those requirements
strong recommendation. II Is under
stood will be made for intermediate schoolo
~ take in children In the seventh anu
.;ohtb wears Of school work and prepare
Nv, Cor the high school 1t will be pointed
49,. that only about 10 pcr cent or the pu-
- - Tho urinary schools go 10 the hish
s.,,ools and intermediate schools should De
,rov;dsd for them. while there shoulo NC d
aiTe-ent course Of study for the olher pu-
- ,,,,o do rot intend TO take the high
school course ~ -.
vocational schools will be tho subject OF
.,rother of the chief recommendations OF
mo report. Under the present system
,,,,t cav. the vast majority of pupils leave
,ho echoo,s prepared for nothing. IheS
,,.arder about from one small job TO an
,,ba, for TWO or three years. meanwmie
Icing al the value OF the discipline theS
have Gained in school. and finally settle
doun 70 some work not chosen OUT a''1''N
~ in the most haphazard fashion.
Tho vocational schools, the report VIII
az should take the pupils in from the
.ixtr 20 the eighth year OF their scnooi
life and fit them for whatever Gaining 'heS
have chosen 90 follow as their HE "orh'
This Of course. would not apply 10 'hoSe
" no intend 70 take the high schooI COURSE
They would 20 TO the intermediate schooIs'
and the vocational schools Wouh re io'
those who for any reason cannot 10 ~ '"e
high schools-to prepare them 10 go ou'
.,,o tho world after their schoohng IL
,.do6 with some training IN the means OF
earning q living. The night schoois "ouio
,pnn,en1ent the vocational schools and con-
,,nuc the education Of the pupils after
thew had begun 10 earn living FOR tnem-
selves
Board Of Education Too Large.
RI. nresAnt Board OF Education, il is un-
5erstood. will be characterized as cunnoer-
s,-,. srd unuieldy. II Will be said that
The hoard should be reduced 20 few. per-
hans fifteen, members. who VIII serve "lth-
out nav and all be active working MEM
hors. Under tho present system the re-
port will say. the cha!rmen Of the COM
nit'ees Of the board do the work, Whlle
the other members make speeches and vote
or second and third hand information.
The hoard of superintendents, under Dr.
William H. Maxwell, as City Superintend-
en-, XIII be said, il Is understood, 10 De
TOO CONSERVATIVES Recommendations VIII
be made for more radical methods IN the
work OF this board. This part 81 the re-
port has been anticipated in the report oil
DR.. Maxwell. who himself has recommend
e6 more radical methods on the part OF the
superintendent.
One Of the important recommendation
with regard to the elementary schools VIII
b. concerned with the study OF English
The report, Il is understood, will say tha'
Ulder the present system there is entirely
100 much attention paid TO conjugauohs
and declcnsions and parsing sentences
More time should be given 10 teaching oral
Composition and the use OF good Enghsn
~ classroom conversation.
II is likely that there will be recon-
incubation for curtailing the courses in
Lain and Greek and advanced mathe'
mates IN the high schools aud giving more
time to modern language. while II viii bf
recommended that Latin and Greek ~
dropped altogether from the purely techni-
cal and commercial high school courses.
While tho committee has no power 70
order changes In the educational system oil
Ire city. j. is expected that Tho public
schools win Dc rcorganiZed along the lines
Of the report The Board OF Estimate APP
propriated $1,000 10 cover the expenses oi
me investigation, and President Mitchell Of
we Board Of Aldermen il CX-OiiiClO chair
nan Of the committee.