Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-12-23
GARY SYSTEM DESCRIBED
No Time Lost in Schools of In
diana City.
Buildings Open the Entire Year anu
Pupils Mny Choose from a Wide
Range Of Vocational subjects
advantages Of Plan.

| Superintendent Of Schools Merritt ID.
| Chittenden delivered an interesting ad-
dress Sunday noon ut TIE college,
street Church ON the subject of the
! cduca tional system introduced into the
public schools of Gary. Indiana. by Will
| liam Writ. school superintendent OF that |
! city. and which Is popularity Known as
| The Gary system" The most important |
| features of this unique school system are !
the keeping open of the school buildings |
during the entire year and their uuliza- |
! ton throughout day and evening during !
this time. the economy in the expenditure |
Of school funds. the mathods by which |
the spare time Of the pupil Is utilized |
and the wide range of vocational subjects
| offered 20 the child from which he may |
make his own selection. thus providing |
! him with n real motive for his work !
The supporters OF this system Of educa
sion argue that the child IS provided with
! the necessary education and recreation
AZ one plant, since tho school buildings
all contain Gymnasiums. auditoriums and
have well equipped Fairgrounds as adj
! juncts that the work Is in operation dur
! ing thc entire yea,r; that although the
| teachers work longer hours thay have
fewer pupils to teach and receive better
| Salaries; that the school plants are better
| equipped and the pupils receive instruc-
! ton frCh experts. besides having such
Wide range Of vocational studies open
to them that the backward child nnds
! his opportunity and thur special schools
| for such children arc done away with:
that the health of the pupils is better,
| and. also. That by the proper utilization
| of the spare time OF the pupil, undue
influence with which the child comes in
contact outside of school hours and which
negative the work of the school are
| avoided.
The city of Gary has a population mum.
ber1nS between forty and fifty thousand.
which Ia largely Industrial and foreign,
the place having grown almost entirely
during the last nine years The num-
Der Of pupils Is about 1000 as against
300 in the public schools OF Burlington,
which has a population about half as
large as Gary. The school year Is
divided into four terms of twelve weeks
each. attendance at school during
| three of the terms being compulsory.
while attendance during the fourth term
ia voluntary. If a pupil attends school
uuIlIlS we IbNTln term. lie Is pTactlCulIy
unrestricted in his choice of studies. be-
ing allowed to work in the school shops.
or spend his time on the school play
ground or In the apprentice course Of some
city industry. which are in the heartiest
cooperation with the schools. Thus the
schools contain three fourths of the pu-
pills during the entire year. while the other
fourth ire in shops or on the Fairgrounds
Mr.. Writ argues that it is cheaper to
build school buildings which will hold
three fourths of the pupils and to use
them all the year around. than to build
enough buildings to house all of the pupils
and use them for only nine months of the
year. This plan has other advantages
since 1t allows the child TO make up any
work lost during the time which he is re-
quired to attend school and permits him
to he absent when he may be employed
most profltah bly,. It has also been found
that small children could better attend
school during the summer quarter.
The school plant. which is never allowed
20 remain idle, being used a a social CEN
ter In the evening contains a playground,
garden. workshop library and in fact
nearly everything except what was
thought necessary for a school under the
usual methods. The elementary grades
,
building. while some high school subjects
ire taught in the lower grades by high
school teachers thus successfully bridg
ing the chasm between the grammar and
the high school The emina ton OF pupils
is reduced to n minimum while the depart
mental teaching which is done in all
grades also helps to reduce the overhead
,, charges. Largely because of the differ
ence in vocational training for boys and
girls ii has been found hest to segregate
the sexes, and this is now done, the acad
emic work Of both boys and girls being
about the same. while tho girls work in
the kitchen or are laugh: sewing mil
linery, etc. while the boys work in the
shops
The school day in Gary begins at s:45
and closes at four o'clock. The children
are divided into groups, o-e Yroup doing
academic work, while the other group Is
occupied with what are knoWn as the
special activities. Thus while the acad I,-c
students are doinG the regular work
, given 10 pupils OF their age. the group
engaged in the special activities may be
on the playground, in the reading room,
working In the shops or listening to
lecture in the auditorium. The process is
then reversed and the group which in
,
engage in the special activities during
, tho afternoon When the regular work
Of the school day is over, the pupi, may
. do such work az he chooses or amuss
himself on the playground or in the
symnasiCn al under trained supervision.
The work done in the shops is supervised
5y practical worlmcn. who are chosen
for their character intelligence and
tea hing ability. This vocational work
embraces nearly all Of the branches in
which skilled artisans are employed
Much attention 10 also devoted to tho
( school gardens and the school farm
while the pupils also have miniature
-ity. callsl "Royvilie," administered by
Z fhsir own officers and in which they are
I al citizens This training in citizenship
is doing n great deal or good and the
boys and girls OF Gary are already
,Xermg splendid influence upon It's
.vic life