New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-26
THE, WRIT PLANS ADVANTAGES.
liable Facilities and Has Also the Mer;,

and the other partly vocational. The work /,
the lower grades is entirely academic
Under the Writ plan there is 10 such elias.
distinction between academic and vocational
pupils or postponement OF worn activi,i.,
until the child must torego academic trsiriny
through dislike, sheer inability or otherwi.s
Work activities are afforded all children in all
the grades throughout the school in the belief
that all child.en need helpful end practical
work along with study and play as a mean,
Of developing their faculties rather than he.
cause they may be forced prematurely from
school into practical life. Il is believed. how.
ever, that # 4 child should be so forced in,o
an early wage earning career he will be well
prepared 70 thrive subsequently through hsv.
ing become accustomed % real work from, All,
earliest years. II is believed. Furthermore
that children will be more inclined to con.
tinue al school beyond the sixth grade. whsrs
the falling off is now most acute. because OF
the vitality Of the school work they have had
before reaching that point than because Of a
promise Of more interesting things % come.
In Gary the community life Of the school
itself is made the bass Tor this practical
training. For example, shop work is done on
repairs and construction. not for the sake OF
economy, as is sometimes said. but simply "A
one Of the activities of the children necessary
to keep their community going.
It is not true that this work is haphazard
and that the pupils are not held accountable
for results In the lower grades the pupil,
who are assigned in small groups 70 act as
helpers 10 those in the upper grades are no,
held responsible for results TO tire same de-.
gree as are the older pupils, because the pur.
pose there is to enable them 70 become IA.
miliar with practical processes and to dis
cover their aptitudes without being forced
too early to shape their efforts toward an idea
of achievement in the teachers mind Be.
cause of the fact that the early years are the
most plastic in life, it Is believed that as littls
specific direction as possible should then }.
given by the teacher and as much opportunlty
as possible afforded for the children 70 gain
unhampered and of their own volition an
elementary knowledge Of the things which
appeal to them. Mr.. Writ does not there.
fore look for results primarily in the early
grades. The problem there is for the enid
to discover his interests. In the upper grades,
however. the children are held strictly &C.
countable at a time when the cumulative, IN.
conscious influences OF the early years make
Il EN- far more efficient and far more capable
of exercising their self-discovered abilities
toward definite ends. Furthermore, the Ger
relation Of this practical work with science
and academic training through the school
gives the child continuously an intelligent
perspective upon fundamental principles.
In view of the teachings Of modern psyehol-
ogy il is impossible TO understand how any
one can characterize the utilization Of the
desire for leadership in older pupils by az
ranging a schedule which enables them to
care for groups of small children under the
intelligent oversight of the plsygrounl
teacher as "aimless play under the benevolent
supervision of pupil monitors" IL is also
difficult for any one who has been 10 Gary
and witnessed the splendid instructive work
l. the auditorium periods to characterize the
expressive work there carried on as "whiling
away time in idle contemplation Of lengthy
auditorium exercises"
While, therefore, as would be expected
from its origin, the Ettinger plan has taken
over several of the features of Mr.. Wirts
plan, such as cooperation with neighborhood
forces, it differs so fundamentally in spirit
and method from the parent form that there
seems to be Justification for the strong feel
ing In many quarters that II does not meet
the requirements for a full rounded elemen-
tary education as we'll as does Mr. Wrt's.
This impression, taken in conjunction with
the possibility for wished-for fexibil.
ity of programme. the opportunities for teach
ers to work in fields they like best through an
extension of the departmental plan, and the
economic advantages secured through skilfdl
use of all available facilities, would seem to
indicate that the school and city officials are
working in the right direction.
1t is to be hoped, therefore, that there will
be no delay in revising along these new, pro-
gressive lines the budget estimate for 1915,
which has been prepared on the basis Of the
old scheme of organization II would be I'M
fortunate if lack of expedition in estimating
costs should seriously handicap the introdue-
tion of this desirable type Of education dur
ing the ensuing year.
HOWARD W. NUDD,
Director Public Education Association OF
the City of New York
New York, Sept %, 1915.