The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-12
SCHOOL ECONOMY.
Is This the Time TO Invest Z $1,000, 900
In the Gary system?

In the Gary system?
To THE Eprron or THE suN-sir. The
Board OF Estimate is ready to allow
5000, 600 for the general adoption OF
tho eo-called Gary system In the public
schools of this city. This system, we
are told. will enrich the school plant,
because for it a school must nave gym
nasium, swimming pool. auditorium,
workshop, studios, music rooms. nc.
1t is. however, difficult to comprehend
such generosity at n time when the clty's
tnances are In 50 p%recarious a condition
! that this Same Board OF Estimate has
found 1t Iecessary to cut the educa-
tional budget for the coming year by
81 900, 900.
In order TO live within our means the
most stringent economies must be praC-
tised. The district superintendent have
been told TO consolidate all classes to
nifty children In n elias = This means a
reduction in the number of teachers re-
quired, and a consequent saving In sala-
r.cs. For the children IL means over
crOwdlng and the teaching of masses
instead of individuals.
II IL proposed to require each kinder
garten teacher to teach forty children
In the morning and another forty chill
dren In the afternoon. No assistant Is
to be provided until both classes regis
ter fifty. This again Ia a Measure OF
economy. Many classes will be consoli-
dated, and those teachers who are re-
leased will DO put into the regular
grades. doing work for which they have
received no preparation.
How does this saving of teachers
salaries affect the children? Fir1t OF
all. those who attend in the morning
will receive three hours of instruction
and those who attend in the afternoon
will receive only two hours of instruc.
ton. In the second place. 1t means that
with 50 large a class no teacher will
be able to study zach individual five
year-old child and develop In the
child tina self-activity which leads TO
a desire to learn the child Will be lost
in the group. II means. in the third
place. that the cooperation between the
school and the home. fostered by visits
of teachers to the homes and by moth
ers' meedings. a vital part OF the work
OF the kindergarten teacher, Will have
to be discontinued. because no teacher
can he expected 20 keep In touch with
the home life of from eighty to one
hundred children.
\ third eronOmy that is now IN force
puts into the hand of substitutes the
responsibility of regular classes at a
maximum salary of $500, instead of the
minimum salary Of $500 for a regular
teacher. No appointments nave been
made In over a wear and none viii be
made for some time to come In the
meantime the city is Supporting train
Ing schools for teachers hat turn out
term after term Young men and women
prepared 10 teach but with no prospect
Of appointment, despite the fact that
the children are massed into over
crowded rooms and the classes are
larger, according TO the best educationai
authorities. than can he wisely handle
by a single teacher. Lot ne q here
that the demonstration of the 9ary
system in The Bronx has not don away
with the large classes and the handling
Of children ZEN masse."
Afternoon athletic centres have been
discontinued. THIS means a saving 20
the city Of $3.50 a week in each such
centre, For the children. In a district
like the one IN which l live, II means
that after school hours the ONLY play
ground Is the street. The Park Com
missioner has told us that for some
years to come no money Will DO forth
coming for playground purposes. II this
Is so II would seem wise to permit the
children TO use the school yards after
school hours for wholesome and safe
play. To permit this without wise and
sympathetic supervision would be worse
than having dhe children play In the
StTtttS, WIere tNe Silpp Keeper. Ul6 prop
ertv owner and the %janltor. IN self-de-
fence. become supervisors.
These are but a few Of the economies
some already In force and many mors
In contemplation that the Impoverished
! condition of the city's finances makes
II necessary for the Board OF Education
to practise on the children OF our pub
lie schools. Is this a time for extrava-
CANT experiments2 We want to improve
our school system and TO enrich OH
school plant. But why indulge in luxu'
ries when We rave To deprive ourselve.
OF necessities?
II $500, 900 viii be required to equiv
twelve schools. II will take a consider
ably larger gum than $4,000. 900 u
equip the two hundred schools sug,
I pested for the Introduction of the Gar,
l system. For much less money the citN
could run duplicate schools In IN.
| crowded districts, thereby reducing Tn
, size OF classes, appoint teachers from
, the eligible list 10 Instruct these classes
' run the kindergarten IN n manner ap
proved by the educational experts, re-
= tain the teachers OF special subject
who are now 10 be returned to do regu
lar class room work. make use OF III,
|. ~splcndidly equipped shops that are nov
! idle because Instructors have not beer
i tsslsn TO them, and open the sclloo
7 wards after school hours so that tn
' children will havs n safe place in whicl
y to play. SARA LrwtNsoN.
, Nrw yoRK. December ~.