The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-04-17

i
it would seem that, in order to
make the public school system in PEN
sacoIa more effective, It would be
necessary to make some very decided
changes. These changes must be. in
measure, radical and while The
Journal would not wish to advocate
any thing that would tend toward an
extreme, at the same time 1t will read
lily be admitted, by those who have
studied and thought along these lines.
that whatever changes are made
must be changes that will not only
meet the needs of the pupils OF to-,
day, but those of tomorrow.
The ineffectiveness Of the present
public school system is greatly due
to the fact that in attempting to sys-
tematize the schools in Pensacola, the
future was not. at the time, given that
consideration It should have received
It Is not an easy thing TO apply
remedy to any condition. And it is
not going to prove an easy thing to
remedy the deficiencies in our public
schools, in order that the educational
opportunities here may compare ia
vorably with cities elsewhere. And
for this reason. It should be the duty
OF every citizen to give this matter
careful and unbiased thought.
One OF the most revolutionary
things along educational lines. and
one that IS attracting attention all
over the world, is the work that is
being done by William Writ. superin
tendent Of the public schools Of Gary,
Indiana.
Gary IL a city that the steel trust
built 10 order. and the pupils are made
up almost entirely OF foreigners. But
the Gary system has come to be one
OF the wonders of the age, and it is
doing great work in educating the
children, who find here opportunities
that they could not readily find else
where.
One investigator declares that what
is called the Gary system. Is merely
the special way that William Writ has
found suitable for the expression of
his spiritual life 1t is said that
wherever reporters write up the Gary
school system they have all unani-
urged that this system should
be put into effect everywhere.
The Journal has neither space, nor
the knowledge Of details at hand that
would be necessary. in order to give
a right impression of Just what the i
Gary system is, but would suggest that |
those interested in education here,
might find it advantageous to write |
to Mr.. william Writ, superintendent !
Of public schools at Gary Indiana,
nd
formation.
Here are few facts, however,
CLEANED from articles appearing in
various magazines and newspapers,
about the Gary school system:
The schools run the year round.
Children are not obliged to attend
all the year, but they do so from pre-
ference.
The schools are open from a. m.
till 10 p. m.
The Gary schools do not pretend to |
teach much, they only offer all pos
sible opportunities and facilities for |
the child to educate himeslf.
The schools have about them gar
dens of vegetables and flowers, play |
grounds, ball grounds, court for ten
mis-, hand ball, basket ball, ETC. In the |
buildings are well equipped gymna-
Sums, swimming pools. showers, etc. |
The building accommodates twice |
as many children as 1t will hold. That |
is one reason the Gary system costs |
no more than the other-in fact rath- |
err less. All the plant, including out
doors, is in use all the time.
While one set of children is in the
class rooms, another set is outdoors |
or in the gymnasiums or in the shops. |
Gary gets every cent out of it's tax |
payers investment, because the school |
is used all the thine.
1t would be impossible to go largely
into detail here about this wonderful |
system, which seems to bid fair to |
take from school it's old bugbearish |
character, and make 1t a place where |
children love to congregate. at all |
hours, and where they learn to edu-
cate themselves naturally, by doing |
things for which they seem to be most |
fitted.
While The Journal is not in posi-
ton to give all details of the work
which is being done by Mr.. Writ. al: |
along this line having
been cleaned second hand, from arti-
cles relative to this system which
have appeared in the public press and
the monthly magazines, if the public
Fnfa ola