The Washington herald., 1913-10-12
BY FRANCIS A. l. CONNOLLY.

.
The open-air plan school originated
in Germany. little less than zen
years ago. Since that time the world
wide movement for open and outdoor
schoolrooms has gone forward by such
steps that il is now one of the most
interesting of the present-day sciences.
The old slogan, Fit the child to the
school," has been punctured ana rld-
died so that it now looks unsightly'
and in its place has arisen the saner
and more scientific cry, Fit the school
10 the child" Every trial has been an
undoubted success.
SickIy children who never before
even dreamed of acquiring an educa-
ton are now finding conditions IN
which they cannot only study, but in
which they can at the same time I'M
prove and in some cases regain thelr
health Laggards and dull students
who had begun to despair of ever max
ing up the classes which they had
wasted or lost are rejoicing in the new
and Interesting schedules OF Work ana
play, and are setting to their tasks
with A will while students who nave
always been perfectly normal, lnstllIed
with sunlight and oxygen, are rush-
ing On to The acquisition of lturther
laureIs In fact, this new system has
teen SC successful. especially in the
cure of children who have tubercu-
losis. that a plan is now on toot 10
hsvo the old and discarded batileshlps
of Uncle Sans Navy turned into open
air sanatorium schools
Victory for the Plan.
After most careful and rigid experiment
this modern system OF Open-air scnooIlhE
has come out OF the test wreathed IT VIC
tory. Yet it is not altogether new iaea'
Going back to the times OF the AnclCIIs'
we find Aristotle in his gardens "a.AlEs
among his pupils and delivering 10 tHem
his principles of logic in nature own
arpbitheater and Plato, probably stand
ing on barrels or the GreCian equivalent
for them in the streets of Athens, fd-
dressing the passerS-hy. Tracing the pro-
resses of dispensing knowledge down
through the ages, We hear very nl'Ie Oh
schoulrooms until after the world nae
hesun TO come out of its long sleep OF the
Dark Ages.
Then the idea of gathering the children
around some masters caair within four
walls began to come into prominence
The youngsters with the wild blood OF
youth flowing in their veins were herueu
into closed-up Classrooms, where so TaCcn
drv knowledge was paid out to tnCn.
This system had its advantages, but
rbsra Was no reason why it should be
the only system on the face of the earth
YET il came TO be so fixed fact that
when the question of educating chiluren
who were physically unfit to study within
doors arose the only answer that the
economists Of the last century could give
was either to make the children suffer
the rayaees of indoor life. or else give up
al hopes of being educated.
First Experiment in Germany.
Necessity. however. proved in this case,
as in others. the mother OF invention.
When. lately. State legislation began 10
in7pose on all children the obligation of
going to school, some means had TO De
rrsurrected to accommodate the SUD
normal child. Then the first experiment
of Onen-air schools for sickly children
Was begun. Germany. as IS usual was
found master Of the situation, and came
into the foreground with its little forest
school at CharIottenburE. small suburb
Of Berlin The reports from this school
soon spread throughout the empire and
were so startling that similar institutions
seemed to spring up overnight all Owe
The land England was the next TO fall
in line with the move. and in 1907 opened
its fresh-sir school at the little hamlet OF
Rostall Wood. near London.
Switzerland and France quickly fol-
lowed her example, and in 1905 the city
Of Providence. R l.. started the first
nnen-air school in the United States
Since that time they have been estah-
Ished in such rapid succession that there
are now over 700 in America. located IN
more than thirty different cities.
The Germans designated the first OF
these institutions by the term, ''open-air
rero,erv schoCIs'' since they were orig
ir3Ilv INTENDED 70 accommodate pale and
-icklv rhnulen. su-h as those suffering
from aua,rnia tuberculosis and other dis
eases that mace il dangerous TO pen the
children n vaIled-up class rooms. To
the child that is physically subnormal
these closed Up rooms in which foul air
from the breath and bodies ri his class
mates Is almost forced down his lunEs.
while the pure air and sunshine are
barred outside his prison walls are like
So many dark dungeon cells.
His fellow-students may be suffering
from all sorts of ailments. and he is
ror,relled to breath the air passed out
through tu5ercular lungs and from sour
stonarhs and mouths in which the teeth
are halt -otted away. Something had to
he done to relieve this poisonous condition
nf affairs and the open-air school was
the only solution of the difficulty.
Benefits Are General.
Once the ice was broken and the fresh
air campaign started. it was not diff