Evening star., 1915-12-02
Growth Of the Gary Plan.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

The Gary plan has fairly captured
New York The big town expects to
save s4,O00,00O a year by the adoption
of this new school system, which con-
sists primarily in using the same facili-
ties for two sets of children The
fourteen old buildings which are being
used for the Gary schools have been
completely remodeled, and eight new
ones are planned
In education Americans are, above
all. conservative, but when there is a
chance to save money they Immediately
become interested. So the Gary plan
is spreading. Ell Paso has taken it up
ing the increased school attendance
caused by the Texas compulsory edu-
cation law. Newark. Buffalo. Roches-
ter and Schenectady each have at least
one school on the Gary plan and there
are many other cities that are either
considering it or experimenting with
it.
The Gary plan consists in the elimi-
nation of wasted time. in the use of
equipment and in the adaptation of
the course of instruction to the indi-
vidual child. Heretofore individual
instruction" has been one of the most
.,
where pupils were few and teachers
many. The Gary plan provides no in
dividual instruction in that sense, but
its curriculum is as adjusta BILE to the
powers and peculiarities of the child
as a well planned machine is to It's
material
Under the Gary system given
schoolroom accommodates just twice
as many pupils as
Twice as Many there are seats.
Pupils as Seats. children is oecu-
pying them the rest of the school is
using the Fairgrounds, gymnasiums.
auditoriums. workshops and labora to-
ries. All of these facilities. rightly
used. will cost less per capita than an
ordinary schoolroom run on the old
plan.
A model of the Froebel school of
Gary was one of the most interesting
educational exhibits at San Francisco.
1t contained ideal accommodations for
1000 pupils ranging in age from kim
dergarten to high school years. The
rooms included two kindergartens.
twenty-four class rooms. five labora-
tories, eight workshops. three studios
for musical and expression work, an
auditorium, two gymnasiums and two
swimming pools.
The building at Gary stands in a ten
acre park owned by the city. and the
lawns, shrubbery and two school gar
dens OF an acre each are cared for
by the pupils and instructors in botany,
agriculture and allied lines. In the
park there are a number of animal
Of the youthful biologists and their
Instructors. Truly, we have left the i
little red schoolhouse far behind.
The daily program of this most mod
ern OF American schools lasts from $50
o'clock in the morning until in the
evening, and this time Is equally di-
vided between the pupils of school X
and those of school Y. Each of the pu-
pills has about 220 minutes of academic
work, so minutes of industrial and
scientific work. 40 minutes in the audi
torium and 40 minutes of play in gym
nasium and playground.
This. however, is merely for the nor
NAL. the much discussed average child
Each pupil is
Study Adjusted to studied, and the
Individual Needs. propV'tsonI pt,'dv work and o
play nicely adjusted to his individual
needs. If parents want to keep their
children at home for moral instruction.
or send them to church or prayer meet |
ing, 1t may be arranged. Likewise. If
the mother runs a boarding house. and
the daughter, is needed al the noon
hour to wait on table, she will be ex-
cused from school and given credit for
her work at home as part Of the indus |
trial course.
Shop and mechanical work are an i'm
ftlA n in
structors in these lines are skilled la |
borers and get regular union wages. |