The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-16
SCHOOL ALL THE YEAR ROUND.


by w. S. Deffenbaugh, specialist in
city school administration of the fed
era1 bureau of education.
Mr.. Deffenbaugh finds that time is
saved. street loafing is largely pre-
vented, and health is conserved by
eliminating the long summer vaca-
ton.
The children in Newark who have
attended school for the past year or
two on the all-year school plan speak
enthusiastically of it. The bureau in
vestigator asked the pupils in the
seventh and eighth grades to write
compositions telling why they at
tended school during the summer.
Nearly all the pupils stated that the
schoolroom was much cooler than the
streets and their rooms at home; that
they were glad to have something to
do besides running in the streets, and
that they hoped to gain a grade or
two by the time they were old enough
for their work certificates. Parents
who were interviewed favored the
plan because their children were able
to get more schooling than otherwise.
One parent said:
IF there were no summer schools
we would not i-now where our chill
dren are. They would leave home
early in the morning and run all over
the city Now we know that they are
safe in the schoolroom and in no dan
ger of being run over by automobiles
or street cars"
The attempt was made &c find out
how much time the children actually
saved thru the a1l-year schools OF
271 pupils in the sixth, seventh and
eighth grades, % made no gain, 81
showed a gain of one-third of a year,
SO a gain of two-thirds of a year, 81 a
gain of one year. and So a gain of one
and one-third years.
1t was found that the pupils in the
all-year schools not only made more
rapid progress thru the grades, but
maintained as good scholarship as the
pupils in other schools. Many of the
pupils were able to enter high school
as result of the time gained in the
all-year school. and these pupils have
mad no difficulty in keeping up with
| their work. 1t is expected that many
more pupils will now complete the
elementary grades at IL years of age,
enter high school and attend for at
| least two years. Once in high school,
they are likely to remain even after
the compulsory age limit is passed.
One criticism that has been directed
against the Newark all-year schools is
that the pupils in these schools must
| dA "a,
in order to gain three months a year
and thus complete the eight grades in
six years. 1t should be understood,
however, that the regular ten months
course has been modified so that a
pupil may complete 1t in nine months.
and all non-essentials have been
omitted. Furthermore, less reviewing
is needed in September for the chill
dren who have had only two weeks
vacation than for these who have had
two months vacation. The month
that is usually taken at the beginning
of the fall term to review pupils in
the work of the preceding grade is not
necessary for pupils who attend con-
tinuously or with only short vacations.
In regard to the health of the chill
dren who are kept in school during
the summer months, Mr.. Deffenbaugh
declares:
THE medical inspectors of Newark
report that the health of the children
who have attended school all year has
not been impaired in the slightest de-
gree. The regular school medical and
nurse service continues in the summer
so that the health of the children in
school is better cared for than that
of those not in school. Good health
habits acquired during the regular
term are not broken up by a long
summer vacation when the children
not in school are beyond the influ-
ence of the school physician and the
school nurse. The physician an6
nurse both report that tho children
who have been out of school durins
July and August come back in Sep.
TENDER in poorer physical condition
than those who have attended thess
two months, and that even the chill
dren who have been away to a sum
mer resort are in no better physica
condition than those who have beer
IN school, since their recreation ii
likely to have been of a dissipatin,
nature. One school physician stated
that If the children could go into tn,
country and live a normal life will
, plenty of exercise he would favor thi
to keeping them in school, but sine
conditions are such that none Of tn
children who are in the tenement dis
tricts can go to the country, tho bes
place for them for four or five hour
a day is in the schoolroom, on tn
school Fairgrounds, and in the schoo
shops and gymnasiums"
: THE BILLION DOLLAR TOY.
} Theodore Newton Vail IS the mai
| xIrhn