New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-08

A letter has been received from Miss
Agnes de Lima. chairman of the com
mittee on education Of the Woman's
Municipal League Of New York City,
~ West Thirty-ninth Street. contain
ing ten questions raised by members
OF the league in regard TO the Writ
plan, which this department is asked to
answer. Owing to the number Of other
questions received. it Is not possible
TO answer all In a single issue. We
start with the first:
Il. What is the difference between
the double session plan and the Gary
work study and play plan?'
Double Session Is Not Work. Study
and Play Plan.
This is an important point for par
onts and teachers to understand, be
cause IL has been persistently stated
or intimatcd by the opponents Of the
Gary plan that the double sessions and
the work, study and play plan are The
same. This is not so. Under the
double session plan the day is no
longer than in the regular traditional
school and there are no enriched ac-
tivities for children. But under the
work. study and play plan the day IS
six or seven hours long, and every
child has the use Of the Fairgrounds,
swimming pools. auditoriums, shops
and classrooms.
As Tristram Walker Metcalfe points
cut in "The Globe" of November 4,
double sessions have been tried in
this city for years" This is the way
double sessions developed:
Double Sessions"
In 1904 W. L. Ettinger. AZ the re-
quest of Mayor Mcclellan, submitted
the Ettinger 1904 plan for taking care
of part-time classes. Under this plan
children had the following day:
First Group of Glasses.
$3.50 to 1880 a. m.-Classroom in
struction.
1O:8O to 1I:15-Study and physical
training in yard.
11:15 a. m. to 1890 D. m.-Luncheon.
1890 TO 2:30-Classroom instruc-
ton.
Second Group of Classes.
1890 a. m. to 1880 D. m.-Classroom
instruction.
1880 to 1:45-Luncheon.
LAS TO 2:3O-Study and physical
training in yard.
2:30 to 4:30-Classroom instruction.
Total time Of instruction for each
group. four hours and forty-five min
utes-not what could be called a full
day. 1t should be noted also that the
second group does not come 20 school
at all until 1890 q. m. and the first
group is not in school after 2:30 .. m
In other words, these children are Left
10 the influences of street education
during these hours.
In 1913, at the suggestion of .hs
part-time committee. the following
modification Of the 1904 programme
was put into effect as the 1913 dou-
bic session programme:
First Group of Glasses.
$3.50 TO 1O:3O a. m.-Classroom in
struction.
1890 to 11:3O-Open.ng exercises
and study in auditorium or ilay-
ground.
1880 a. m. TO 1890 p. m.-Luncheor.
1890 to 2:30-Classroom instruc-
tion.
Second Group of Classes.
9:3O to 1890 a. m.-Opening exer-
cises and study in auditorium or play
ground
1880 a. m. to 1890 p. m.-Classroom
instruction.
1890 TO $3.50 p. m.-Luncheon.
$3.50 to 4:30 p. m.-Classroom IN
struction
From the point Of view Of the well
fare Of the children the important
thing about these double session pro-
grammes is that both the three-quar-
tiers Of an hour for study and physi
cal training in yard" in 1904 and the
hour for Opening exercises and study
in auditorium or playground" IN 1913
are merely devices for emptying class
rooms of one group Of children in or
der to let another group use them. 8y
no stretch of the Imagination can one
possibly discover any enriched oppor-
tunities for children in Opening ex-
ercises and study in auditorium and
playground" On the contrary, audi
forums, Fairgrounds and yards are
obviously not places for study.
II is not surprising that, az Mr.
Metcalfe pointed out in his editorial,
"there is a general belief among the
superintendents, principals and teach
ers that it is not possible 10 provide
better or even the same schooling for
children on double sessions as for
those on full time" As matter Of
fact. Public School So, Brooklyn, was
on this double session programme
wear ago, and conditions were so bad
that the parents threatened to 90 on
strike II a change was not made. That
school was put on a work-study-
play programme In November. 1914,
and the parents are satisfied. Public
School AZ was also on the double seq
sion programme before it was .-or-
ganized on the work, study and play
plan last February. Under tie latter
plan a sixth grade boy, for exa pie,
has the following programme:
$3.50 TO $3.50 a. m.-Arithmetic.
9:1O to $3.50 n. m-Language.
$3.50 TO 1880 a. m.-AuditoriUm
~ ,r,,e siroirO nresenfatfon IN dr.