Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-04-11
NEED OF SYSTEM
IN STATE SCHOOLS
It's Pointed Out in Pamphlet Is
sue by Educational De-
partnent.
IFrom q stan corresnonaent.l

TRENTON. N. j., April Ito sys-
tematize the use of time in the schools
of New Jersey, a pamphlet has been
issued by the state department of edu-
cation suggesting methods of utilizing
the time to the best possible advan-
tage and outlining programs that
could be followed. The pamphlet is
the work of Assistant Commissioner
George A. Mirick, who had the CO.
operation of superintendent, princi-
pals and teachers.
The fact is pointed out in the mono
graph that while most of the city
schools have fairly well systematized
their school programs the smaller
particularly the rural schools. are en-
deavoring To adopt the working plan
OF the large schools and are thereby
wasting much valuable time.
The pamphlet emphasizes the fact
that in one-room and small schools
generally. where one teacher is in
charge of several grades, and natur-
ally cannot devote herself to all of
them at the same time, she should
make a special effort to teach her pu-
pms AAoo ~ aAANNs his 10 ilt1tssfil
because d considerable part of the
time must be devoted TO study and
the children should be taught how to
make the best use of their study
hours.
Programs for one-room schools, for
| two, three and four-room buildings,
are taken up separately, as are the
time schedules for city schools.
The principle that grade work. So
called, should not be too strictly ad-
hered to, is suggested, and to secure
efficiency, the correlation of allied
subjects is strongly recommended.
In an explanatory foreword, DIR. Cal
win n. Kendall, commissioner of edu-
cation. says:
1T is important that the teachers
arrange the days work in an econom-
zeal manner. The school year, meas
ured by hours, is relatively short.
Absence from school, necessary and
unnecessary, makes large inToads
upon this time, and consequently
upon the efficiency of schools, in New
Jersey and elsewhere in the United
| States. Often the pupil is in school
not more than eight or nine hundred
| hours during the year. The increased
responsibility upon teachers and
schools, made necessary by new social
and economic conditions, makes 1t i'm
peratiVe that the limited time when
the children are in school be used to
the best advantage.
while the above statements are
widely accepted, yet there is very lit
tie material or data, available for
teachers and school officials, to guide
them In the distribution of the days
work. The larger cities have worked
the problem out, but apparently no
serious attempt has been made to
make a study of the question in its
application to the diversified schools
of an entire State.
Such program of school activities
involves, TO a certain extent, a study
of the educational values of the re-
spective school subjects, about some
of which, however, there is no uni
Versally accepted opinion. In the
monograph, attention is called to i'm
portant related matters, such as suit
able hours for children to be in school,
home study, training of children prop
erly to use study periods, length of
recitation periods, correlation of sub
| jects, consolidation of schools, CLASH
| fication and promotion of pupils, divl-
sion of school work between two or
more teachers, ETC."