New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-25
WRIT EXPLAINS
HIS GARY PLAN
Founder of New System
Questioned for 2 Hours
by Education Board.
REFUSES TO ADVISE
ON CUTTING BUDGET
Explains in Detail the Benefits
of His Work, Study and
Play School.

The question of applying the Gary
system to the schools Of New York
came near TO a head yesterday, when
for two hours DR.. William Writ, origina-
tor of the plan. answered every Ques-
ton put to him by members of the
Board Of Education and members OF
the Board of Superintendent. Many
OF the questions hurled az Dr. Writ
showed nntagonsm to the plan; others.
members Of the Board of Education
declared, were petty. but DR.. Writ in
sisted on answering all queries
Dr.. Writ, however. refused TO com
NIT himself on Controller Predergast's
plan for reducing the school budget.
THAT he said. els for the city Off
Gals to pass upon"
While Dr. Writ was replying to ques-
tions. School Commissioner William G.
Wilcox rose in protest, declaring that
DR.. Writ was being forced to waste
time on trivialities.
Superintendent Edward B. Shallow
throughout the debate kept pressing
DR.. Writ for Il statement that the work
study-and-play system should not be
applied to all the New York schools.
May you be quoted as saying that
you do not approve of extending the
work-study play school through
out the city," Mr.. Shallow asked.
M - inf rpnifqI al do
wish to be quoted as saying that. That
Is a question for the Board of Educa
ton and the Board Of Estimate TO de
eide"
No Hard and Fast Rules.
In his replies 10 questions DR.. Writ
asserted that the principle of the work
study-and- play school laid down no
hard and fast rules, but offered q flexi
bic programme for all children which
could be modified in any one of hun
bred ways TO suit the needs of any city
or school.
While Dr.. Writ was covering the
queries OF his critics Commissioner
Wilcox suddenly sprang TO his feet,
saying that it was unfortunate when
the Writ plan was holding out such
rich possibilities for New York City's
100000 pupils to have the basic princi- |
pie of the new education beclouded by
discussion of petty details, none of
them essential to the operation of the
work-study play school.
"These Details" Mr.. Wilcox con-
tinued "can be readily adjusted by
New Yorks principals and teachers
later on. Let us discuss essentials"
Mr.. Wilcox stated that he had rea-
son to believe that the Controller did
not expect to reduce the school budget
this year in order TO effect the saw
ings possible by the Gary organiza-
ton.
DR.. Writ then continued, explaining
that the use Of the auditorium, the
hours of school attendance, the tame
for luncheon and other details could
all be altered TO suit the opinions OF
New Yorks schoolmen without inter
fering with the workings of the work
study-and- school.
Must Keep Children Busy.
"If you want to create complete
child world within the adult world
said Dr.. Writ, you must allow the
children to be kept wholesomely busy
at work, study and play to make the
right sort of men and women of them.
School cannot do this alone. The
parks, the Libraries, the churches, the
plavgrounds must all work with the
school to accomplish this desired end,
and the school is best suited 70 CO.
ordinate these several agencies work
because the compulsory education law
gives the school the children for these
activities"
DR.. Writ, in answering another ques-
ton. stated that he had not tried to
economic at the expense of efficiency
at Public School 40. The Bronx, but
had actually employed an extra jan
itor's assistant in one instance 70 keep
an overcrowded school cleaner. super
intendent Ettinger said that this eX-
pensc was not incurred by the board IN
the usual overcrowded school.
"Well, then, you should employ the
extra man. You are not trying to see
how cheaply. but how well, you run
schools" DR.. Writ replied.
Showing that the results from the
wori.-stuay-and-p!ay school were bet
ter than from the tradition schools
Dr. Writ told of an experiment in Troy
y. y. A school building had been de
stroyed By fire, and its pupils had TO be
accommodated. Troy's authorities sent
for DR.. Writ to solve the problem.
Troy Next TO Gary.
He installed the pupils BY means OF
his double-scho system in building
occupied By other pupils as well. Al
though both these schools were thus
disturbed, they both made the best rec
ords in the Regents examinations at
the terms end. Troy's work-study- and
play schools, outside Of Gary itself,
were nearest the Gary plan, he said.
He stated also that III Gary there
were as many pupils in the first year OF
high school as in the highest eiemen-
tarv grade, whereas the average school
system loses Il large percentage OF ITS
pupils at this point. The average age
of Gary's high school graduates, seveH-
teen and one-half years, was lower than
the average elsewhere. and 80 per cent
Of them went to college.
Superinte.dent McAndrew asked
whether the work study -and-play school
necessitated the making out OF as
many reports and the compiling OF as
many statistics as the conventional
school DR.. Writ said no, but that New
York's school authorities were the ones
TO decide what reports were needed
from their teachers.
In answer to Mr.. McAndrew's other
questions he declared that the work
study-and-play school eliminated en-
tirely home work for teachers and
pupils
Miss Grace +. Strachan, former
equal-pay leader. asked whether DR..
Writ believed that if the work-study-
and-play school were introduced IN New
York the teaching efficiency would be
increased.
81 came to New York" said Dr. Writ,
"to demonstrate the workstudy and
play school here 1t is not for me, but
for the New York authorities to ap-