New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-27

every 1OO-minute period spent in the
classroom. Moreover, he made clear
TO the parents that relaxation through
calisthenics is by no means the same
kind of relaxation which is obtained
through play, because calisthentc woIh
makes heavy demands upon the chllds
attention.
ut is a question" continued DR.:
Writ, "as to how each child can spend
his school time most proftably. There
is no reason why the public school sys-
tenn should not do for the children
what is best for those children. The
average public school takes the child
too early in the day and keeps i too
late for the child 20 have sufficient
time at his disposal TO enable hlni 70
prOftably devote TO other interests
When these other things are taken up
when the child is tired he loses much
of the benefit from the work.
"Of course, the ideal school plant
would have to be arranged as a cOmOi-
nation between the Park Department
and the Educational Department OF any
CITY. The Park Department should
purchase ten acres and the school
board should buy the adjoining land for
a school site. This is what is done IN
Gary. Then each building has shop
room, library facilities, a swimming
pool and lockers and dressing rooms.
On an average a building used by 1000
children in the daytime would be used
bv $500 young men and young women
at night In other words, the school
house served as a free community
club.
This can be done in New York, for
this is what is now being done in Pub
lie School 50. Land prices have risen
so high here that it would be impos-
sible TO get sufficient facilities, if al!
1 the children are to work on one shift.
In each school building there should
be two or three separate schools,
grouped under the same administrative
head, to be sure, but as separate and
4 distinct as if they were housed in diff
/ ferent buildings. For instance, during
the same period. School ] could be
doing arithmetic. School could be en-
loving a library hour and School 3
could be playing. At the end of the
period they could alternate in their
different varieties of work, and so on.
Thus cost would be reduced and the
children would progress faster and
would receive a more rounded kind OF
education. If the family desires let
the older daughter go home and get
the family dinner instead of taking a
cooking lesson. She may learn cooking
from her mother little less scientih-
cally than from her cooking teacher,
but she will also learn the lesson OF
helpfulness.
"What Gary has done in its poverty"
concluded Dr. Writ, surely New York
City in its wealth can do. Ii the Gary
plan of the combination of recreation,
study, play and home helpfulness are
combined this community will spend
far less for school accommodation and
more for real education"
At the close of DR.. Wirt's explanation
OF his plan many of the parents warmly
in lorsed his views, but others ex-
pressed their preference for the old
type of education and more buildings.
Perhaps a few more months of the
working out of this plan will convince
them also of It's educational sOundness.
Mr.. Parsons. the engineer who is
working on removing the rocks IN He'll
Gate, stated that he had lived in Gary
two and half years. During that